Kingdom Hearts: Lost Legends
by xKeybladeWielderx
Summary: Long before Devon or Sora became the chosen wielders of the Keyblade, the Universe relied on the protection of true Keyblade Wielders: Ventus, Terra, Aqua, Shara, and Ducar. Together, they shall travel to many worlds to fight the Forces of Darkness and discover their destinies. Five friends, five destines, one grand epic adventure. Everything shall link back to the beginning.
1. Birth by Sleep

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Celestial Temple_ )

Within the sanctity of the Celestial Temple, the holy being known as The Inheritor and his white dragoness, Vervada watched as the destined Keyblade Master, Devon and his friends enjoyed their lives on Destiny Island through the large celestial globe inside the Celestial Archive. Also with them was Ignitus, the old Fire Guardian from the Dragon Realms, who was now the new Chronicler.

"Devon has shown a lot of progress. His heart now shines evermore brightly through the darkness. There is no doubt now that he will more than likely succeed against The Dark Lord of the Shadows." Ignitus says

 ** _"Indeed. He has his mother's kindness and his father's courage."_ ** The Inheritor says

"I'm sure they would've been very proud of their son. The poor young one. We're it my decision, I would have taken him under my care. But I'm sure his Night Fury, Luna will take very good care of him. She loves Devon as much as if he was her own hatchling." Vervada says

 ** _"I'm sure you would have, Vervada, my friend. I believe it is time we uncover the story of Devon's mother and father: Shara and Ducar."_ ** The Inheritor says

A white book floats over to the five beings and hovers infront of them. This book had a Kingdom Hearts Sigil on the cover and on the back.

 _ **"A new story awaits the awakening. A sealed tale of truth."** _ The Inheritor says

With a wave of his right-hand, The Inheritor opens up the book and it's pages shine brightly with a white light, illuminating the entire room.

( _10 years ago_ )

 _Long before Devon and Sora were chosen by their Keyblades, the fate of the Universe rested in the hands of true Keyblade Masters._

 _Terra, a calm, cool, and collected tall young man whose cool exterior hides a heart that would give anything fight for his friends._

 _Aqua, a serious, kind, strong willed, intelligent, and responsible young woman who has a loving affection for her closest friends._

 _Ventus, a sweet, cheerful, and inquisitive young boy who is great friends with Terra and Aqua. He was also a great friend of Devon who viewed him as an older brother._

 _Shara, a kind, affectionate, and beautiful young woman who is not afraid to share her compassion with others and was always willing to protect the innocent from evil. She had pretty blue eyes, white skin, dark brown long straight hair which flowed down to the back of her neck and a slim body shape._

 _She wore an elegant white open mini-dress with a white top underneath, white shorts, white low socks and black boots. Her outfit was inspired by the design of the blue lotus flower. Her mini-dress was decorated with light blue flowers and the sleeves were flower-shaped fading from light blue to dark blue. The bottom of the mini-dress, top, and shorts fades from light blue to dark blue. The length of the dress and top goes down to the waist, ending at the top of the shorts. She also had a small, segmented piece of armor on each of her upper arms._

 _And Ducar, a calm, handsome, courageous young man devoted into doing his duty as a Keyblade Wielder and would do all in his power to keep all those he love safe from harm. He had short dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, a tan skin-tone, and a strong muscular build._

 _He wore a black open leather jacket with a dark grey colored shirt underneath it, black jeans, black gloves, and black military boots with straps on them. Ducar wore a utility belt that had four medium-sized silver capsule-like cylinders which formed a square around the corners of the belt and four small black leather military style pouches that were set around the sides. He also had a large armored pauldron shaped like an ornate crest on his right-shoulder and a long, segmented section of armor alternating between dark blue and silver going all the way down to the bottom of his hand._

 _Together, they have been training long and hard under their mentor, Master Eraqus to prove that they too exhibit the Mark of Mastery. But they shall soon find themselves in the middle of a crisis affecting worlds far beyond their own just as another Keyblade Master, Xehanort goes mysteriously missing. In addition to Master Xehanort's disappearance, an ancient evil rises from the shadows to spread a terrible darkness across the worlds, threatening to tighten it's grip on the Universe._

 _Five friends, five destinies, one grand adventure. Everything shall link back to the beginning._

* * *

( _Destiny Islands_ )

One night, Master Xehanort, a Keyblade Master stood on the beaches of Destiny Island watching the night sky looking out toward the ocean. Master Xehanort remembers himself standing exactly where he stood watching the sunset several years ago.

( _Many years ago_ )

In his youth, Master Xehanort had mildly tanned skin, golden eyes, and silver hair which both slightly spikes and falls past his shoulders in the back. It was styled similar to Xehanort's, albeit with four bangs framing his face. The back two thicker than the front two, and the two backwards spikes on the sides are absent, the topmost one slicked back. He wore the same style of white shirt which only reaches to his thighs, a black vest with a high collar, long armbands which cover his forearms, and dark grey pants tucked into his boots.

"This world is just too small." Young Xehanort says

( _Present time_ )

Master Xehanort at the present time was an old man. He wore a black cloak and held Ventus underneath his left-arm. Ventus was wrapped up in a white cloak left in a comatose state. Master Xehanort soon sets Ventus down on a bent tree laying him face down.

"There, you see? An empty world, like a prison. I imagine you'll feel right at home." Master Xehanort says

( _Elsewhere_ )

"Who are you?" Ventus asks

A bright light shined infront of Ventus blinding his vision. He soon found himself falling into darkness still wrapped in his white cloak. As he descended into the darkness, the white cloak he was wrapped in vanishes in a collection of light wisps. In the darkness, Ventus wore his pants and armored boots but the upper half of his body was left bare. Ventus slowly descended down onto a white platform. He looked around his surroundings and soon heard a silent voice speaking to him.

 _"I am a brand-new heart."_

"But this is... Why are you in my heart?" Ventus asks

 _"The light brought me. I saw it shining in the distance and followed it here."_

"Yeah. That was my light. But my heart is fractured. And now, the little I have left is slipping away." Ventus says

The platform that Ventus stood on was fractured as he stated. A part of the platform was missing.

 _"Then you should join your heart with mine."_

"Huh?" Ventus says

The broken part of the platform began to fill with light and soon the platform was complete.

 _"Now our hearts have touched. Nothing else will slip away. And one day... you'll be strong enough to win back the part that already did."_

"Right thanks." Ventus says

 _"It's time to wake up now. All we need to do is..."_

"Open the door." Ventus says in unison with Devon and Sora's voice

The white platform began to change into a glass-stained platform. Wisps of light fly off the platform and into the darkness. Ventus watched as the platform he stood on began to change. He then watched the wisps of light fly off into the darkness. The now glass-stained platform had Ventus portrayed on it.

( _Destiny Islands_ )

Master Xehanort was about to leave when Ventus raised his right-hand into the air. Master Xehanort turned around and saw a Keyblade appear in Ventus' hand with a flash of light.

"A Keyblade!" Master Xehanort exclaims

In Ventus' right-hand was indeed a Keyblade. This Keyblade was known as Wayward Wind.

Ventus' Keyblade began to glow a bright gold aura and rings of light began to circle around the Keyblade. Then, the Keyblade shoots a streak of light into the night sky, causing wisps of light began to slowly rain down and sparkle in the sky. Ventus slowly opened his eyes mid-way and saw the lights glitter in his eyes.

( _Land of Departure_ )

Ventus was now in his room in the Land of Departure laying on his bed. He sits up and sighs. He soon turns his attention to the window where the stars were sparkling in the night sky. He soon sees a meteor shower up in the stars.

"A meteor shower!" Ventus says feeling excited

Being filled with excitement, Ventus jumps off his bed and heads outside. Ventus heads into the courtyard and looks up at the stars, watching them soar across the night sky

"Wow!" Ventus says in amazement

Ventus lies on the ground with his hands behind his head, still watching the stars.

"Why does this seem so familiar?" Ventus asks

Ventus slowly began to fall asleep and closed his eyes.

( _Several minutes later_ )

Ventus slowly opened his eyes and sat up. He yawns and lies back down on the ground. Suddenly, Aqua looks down on Ventus smiling.

"Whoa!" Ventus exclaims feeling startled

Ven sits up and looks toward Aqua who giggles.

"Gimme a break, Aqua." Ven says

"Ven, you hopeless sleepyhead. You should have at least brought a blanket." Aqua says

"But, did I dream that place up? It really felt like I'd been there before looking up at the stars." Ven says

"'Cept you always lived here with us." Aqua says

"Yeah. I know. Hey, Aqua. You ever wonder what stars are? Where light comes from?" Ven asks

"Hmm...well they say-" Aqua says

"That every star up there is another world." A male voice says interrupting Aqua

Ventus and Aqua turned around and saw that the voice belonged to Terra.

"Terra." Aqua says

"Yep. Hard to believe that there are so many worlds out there than just ours." Terra says

"And there's more to those stars." Another male voice says

Two more figures approach Terra, Ventus, and Aqua. It was Devon's mother and father, Shara and Ducar. Shara was 22 years old while Ducar was 24 years old.

"Shara. Ducar." Aqua says

"The light is their hearts, and it shines down on us like a million lanterns." Ducar says

"What? I don't get it." Ven says confused

"In other words, they're just like you, Ven." Terra says

"What does that mean?" Ven asks

"You'll find out someday." Terra says

"I wanna know now." Ven says

"You're too young to know now." Terra says

"Quit treating me some kid." Ven says

As Ven and Terra argue amongst themselves, Ducar, Aqua and Shara laugh.

"Hey, what are you all laughing at?" Terra asks

"I can't help it. You two would make the weirdest brothers." Aqua laughs

"I hear that." Ducar laughs

In that moment, Ventus, Terra, Aqua, Shara, and Ducar all laugh underneath the stars.

"Oh yeah. Terra, you, me, Shara, and Ducar have our Mark of Mastery Exams tomorrow." Aqua says

"Yep. Devon's been looking forward to it." Shara says

"He really has." Ducar says

Aqua pulls out five Wayfinders. One was blue. The second was green. The third was orange. The fourth was red. And the final one was purple. Terra was given the orange Wayfinder. Ven was given the green Wayfinder. Shara was given the purple Wayfinder. Ducar was given the red Wayfinder. And Aqua kept the blue Wayfinder for herself.

"There you go. One for each of us." Aqua says

"Aqua, they're lovely." Shara says

"How did you make these?" Ducar asks

"Somewhere out there, there's this tree with star-shaped fruit, and the fruit represents an unbreakable connection. So as long as you carry good luck charms shaped like it, nothing can ever drive you apart. You will always find a way back to each other. Technically, I think you're supposed to make them with seashells but I did the best with what I had." Aqua says

"You know, sometimes you can be such a girl." Terra says

"What do you mean 'sometimes'?" Aqua asks

"So this isn't a good luck charm?" Ven asks

"Well, that's yet to be seen. But I did work a little magic on them." Aqua says

"Really? What?" Ven asks

"An unbreakable connection." Aqua says

The five friends look at each other and smile. Then, Terra walks into the center of the courtyard.

"Well, tomorrow's the exam. Anybody wanna spar?" Terra asks

Ventus immediately got into battle stance and summoned his Keyblade: Wayward Dawn into his right-hand in a reverse grip.

"I can take ya!" Ventus says feeling excited

Terra turned around to face Ventus and he summoned his Keyblade: Earthshaker into his right-hand.

Ventus struck first, swinging his Keyblade with a quick reverse roundhouse slash, but Terra held his Keyblade in defense. Ventus tries to deliver two more quick slashes, swinging up and down, but still Terra defends himself from his blows. Then, Ventus quickly swings his Keyblade left and right and follows up with a powerful overhead spinning strike. Terra jumps back a good feet away from Ventus, evading the attack.

"Told ya I'm good! Quit goin' easy on me! You're not gonna win unless you stay on the offensive!" Ventus says

"Alright. If that's how you want it." Terra says

With that said, Terra lashes out at Ventus with a bunch of strong blows. First, he swings his Keyblade with a strong left-diagonal slash, but Ventus held his Keyblade up in defense. Next, Terra strikes with a right slash, but Ventus holds his Keyblade vertically in defense of the blow. Then, Terra whirls forward and strikes with a roundhouse slash. Ventus holds his Keyblade up to block against the blow, but he was sent staggering back slightly against the brunt of Terra's attack. Terra leaps at Ventus and attacks with two spinning slashes followed by a powerful overhead strike, but Ventus jumps away, evading the attack.

"It comes with experience." Terra says

"Well, that works out fine if you're fighting one on one. But you need to know how to handle a crowd too." Aqua says

Aqua steps forward and summons her Keyblade: Rainfall. Now, it was her turn to spar against Ventus.

Again, Ventus strikes first by throwing his Keyblade at Aqua who performs a cartwheel to dodge the attack. He then charges forward at Aqua and strikes with a reverse roundhouse slash. Aqua held her Keyblade horizontally in defense of Ventus' attack. She then jumps back and raises her Keyblade into the air, summoning two orbs of light that spins around her, making Ventus jump back. Ventus charges at Aqua to attack her again, but Aqua launches ten bubbles from her Keyblade, sending them toward Ventus who pops each of them with a swing of his Keyblade.

"Yeah! I'm getting better at this!" Ventus says

Ventus turns around to his left and jumped back startled when he saw Ducar standing right behind him with his back facing him and his Keyblade held close to the back of Ventus' neck.

Ducar's Keyblade was known as Vanguard of Honor. This Keyblade had a long, double-edged silver blade with intricate patterns of shimmering gold stripes on the flat sides of the blade. The tip had the shape of a dragon's head with a large arrowhead attached, making up the teeth of the Keyblade. The hilt was plain black. It's pommel was a silver cone. The guard was rectangular and predominantly black. The Keychain was also that of a dragon's head. The Keyblade reflected on Ducar's interest in dragons as he admired their nobility and great power.

"Don't get to overconfident, Ven. When it comes to fighting with your Keyblade, whatever the situation, you should never let your guard down." Ducar says

Ducar turned around to face Ventus and he spun his Keyblade around him before drawing it to his right-side.

"Offense isn't everything. Sometimes, defense is the best offense. " Ducar says

Ducar got into battle stance, holding his Keyblade with both hands and up to his right-side with both feet apart. Ducar had a confident smile on his face while Ventus' face was filled with excitement as he prepared to spar against Devon's father.

Ventus made the first move as he charges toward Ducar and strikes with a left slash. Ducar held his Keyblade infront of him and defended against Ventus' attack. Ventus follows up with a right slash, but Ducar blocks it as well. Then, Ventus tries to attack with a downward slash, but Ducar leaps away and dodges the attack. Ducar retaliates with a leaping strike, swinging his Keyblade right, then slams it down on the ground. Ventus manages to dodge both of Ducar's blows and tries to deliver a downward slash. Ducar holds his Keyblade horizontally and blocks Ventus' attack. The two were caught in a blade lock until Ducar swinged Ventus' Keyblade away. With Ventus left open, Ducar whirls around and strikes with roundhouse slash. Ventus managed to defend himself with his Keyblade, but Ducar's blow was so strong that it made him stumble backwards and fall down on his rump. Ducar walked over to Ventus and offered him his right-hand.

"Always remember, Ven, it's all about survival." Ducar says

Ventus grabbed hold of Ducar's hand and he was lifted up onto his feet. Ducar gave Ventus a pat on his right-shoulder with his left-hand and a smile and he walked away as Shara stepped forward.

"Here's another thing you should know, Ven. No matter who your opponent is, you should always be ready for anything." Shara says

Shara stretches her right-hand out and summons her Keyblade into her hand. She spins her Keyblade infront of her, then draws it to her right-side.

Shara's Keyblade was known as Faithful Salvation. This Keyblade had a thin, navy blue shaft while the tip of the blade ends with the teeth of the Keyblade shaped like a bird's wing. The tips of the wing were light blue while the rest of the wing was white. The blade was decorated with white stars. The hilt were shaped like two white feathers that curved upward in an oval shape. The wings and feathers that made up the hilt, guard, and teeth of the Keyblade glittered with colorful sparkles of light. The handle of the Keyblade was black. Two large glittering wings decorate the Keyblade's guard, lining alongside the shaft. Finally, the Keychain was a flying white dove.

"Stand strong, be brave, and show no fear." Shara says

Ventus stood ready with his heart filling with excitement as he prepared to spar against Devon's mother. Like her husband, Shara got into battle stance, holding her Keyblade to her right-side with both hands and her feet spread apart.

Yet again, Ventus made the first move. He attacks Shara with a leaping strike, swinging his Keyblade downward with a somersault. Shara cartwheels out of the way, dodging the attack. She then counters with a spinning slash, twirling in the air. Ventus held his Keyblade up to defend against the blow. He then tries to strike with a quick left slash, but Shara jumps into the air with a backflip and a somersault. She then comes back down with a downward slash. Ventus jumps back and dodges the attack. He then charges at Shara and assaults her with a flurry of quick slashes, but Shara maintained her defense and blocked each of Ventus' blows. She soon caught Ventus off guard and knocked his Keyblade out of his grip, sending it sliding across the ground.

"A strong heart is a brave heart. Remember that, Ventus." Shara says

Ventus walks over to his Keyblade and picks it up.

"Alright. Now, let's see how you all do against each other. Terra and Aqua versus Shara and Ducar. C'mon! It'll be awesome!" Ventus says

Terra and Aqua look at each other and nod, then got into battle stance. Shara and Ducar stood close to each other and they summoned their Keyblades and got into battle stance. They both held their Keyblades with both hands drawn to their right-side and their feet kept apart. The four Keyblade Wielders stared at each other with neither side moving an inch.

Within moments, the four friends leaped at each other and the sparring match commenced. Terra and Aqua struck first, assailing Shara and Ducar with a barrage of attacks, striking them with quick blows from their Keyblades. Devon's parents stood firm and defended themselves with their Keyblades, parrying against the blows that were sent at them. Then, it was their turn to strike. Shara and Ducar swung their Keyblades at Terra and Aqua, striking them with quick blows just as they did. Terra and Aqua held their Keyblades up and parried against the blows.

The four friends then took on their own individual opponents. Shara went up against Aqua while Ducar took on Terra.

Shara strikes with a downward slash, a right slash, and a left-diagonal slash, but Aqua blocks against each blow. Aqua retaliates with a right slash, but Shara jumps back, dodging the attack. Aqua charges at Shara and thrusts her Keyblade at her, but she leaps over to the right and knocks Aqua's Keyblade away with an uppercut. From there, Shara whirls around and swings her Keyblade at Aqua, aiming for her right-side. Aqua quickly held her Keyblade infront of her and blocked Shara's attack. The two young women were then caught in a blade lock.

Terra thrusts his Keyblade at Ducar, but he knocks it away with a left swing of his Keyblade. Terra then strikes with a downward slash, a low left slash, and a reverse roundhouse slash, but Ducar parries against each of the blows. Terra swings his Keyblade at Ducar's head, but he ducks down. He then takes a sweep at his legs, but Ducar leaps up, dodging the blow. It was now Ducar's turn to strike. He swings his Keyblade with an uppercut, a downward slash, two spinning slashes, and a strong left-diagonal slash. Terra manages to dodge the first two strikes, leaning his body to the sides, then he blocks the next two slashes with his Keyblade. And then, he holds up his Keyblade to block Ducar's Keyblade and the two men were caught in a blade lock.

The four Keyblade Wielders leapt away from each other and straightened themselves.

"Trust me, you guys are definitely ready. You're gonna clean up the exam tomorrow." Ventus says

"I hope it's that easy." Terra says

"Some things can never be easy." Ducar says

"Have faith. I'm sure we'll pass." Shara says

"It's like the Master said. Power is born from within the heart. When the time is right, you just need to look inside yourself and you'll find it." Aqua says

"Alright, I'd say that's enough for tonight. It's getting late and I think it's about time we head back and get some shut eye." Ducar says

"Yeah." Ven says

Ven, Terra, and Aqua began to walk back home. Shara and Ducar spent a few more seconds looking up toward the stars.

"No matter what the outcome. We will be together. Always." Ducar says

"That's right." Shara says

Shara and Ducar look toward each other and smile. Then, they motion close together and kiss each other on the lips underneath the stars. Soon after, they held each other's hand and ran to catch up with Terra, Ventus, and Aqua.

( _Moments later_ )

Inside the castle, everyone was asleep except for Shara and Ducar who went over to Devon's room to check on him. With his lovely wife by his side, Ducar slowly opened the door and saw that their 5-year old son was sound asleep in his bed, wrapped underneath his comfortable blankets.

Devon wore a small grey shirt, khaki shorts, and a pair of black strap shoes which were down on the floor.

The two loving parents quietly stepped into the room and looked down at their son with smiles on their faces. Ducar kneels down to his son and gently rubs his hand on Devon's head, brushing his hair back.

"Our son is sound asleep." Ducar says

Shara walks over and places her left-hand on Ducar's shoulder.

"Then, let him sleep to his dreams. He's got a big day tomorrow." Shara says

Shara looks up at Ducar and smiles.

"We all do." Shara says

Ducar nods in agreement and he smiles as well. As Ducar rises up on his feet, Shara bends down to her son and kisses him on his forehead. The two then began making their way out of the room. Shara was the first one out while Ducar stayed at the door for a while longer, watching his son sleep in peace.

"Good night, son." Ducar says

After saying that, Ducar quietly closes the door to Devon's room.

"That would be the last night we'd ever spent beneath the same stars." The five friends say in unison

The rest of the night was peaceful as everyone prepared themselves for tomorrow. Little did they know that they would all embark on an epic journey that would change their destinies forever.

( _The Celestial Temple_ )

Inside the Celestial Temple, The Inheritor was meditating within his Meditation Chamber, sitting on his legs ontop of a black pillow decorated with glittering stars. He had his eyes closed and his entire body was glowing with pure light as colorful wisps of light floated all around the room. With him was his beloved dragoness, Vervada who was laying on a large pillow with the same design.

As he meditated, The Inheritor was deep in thought. He could sense something was about to happen. Something evil. Soon enough, The Inheritor opened his eyes, catching the attention of Vervada who raised her head up.

 ** _"Vervada, I cannot shake the feeling that something horrible is about to transpire. I can sense it."_ ** The Inheritor says

"I feel it too." Vervada says

Outside the ancient temple, five stars glittered in the night sky. One star was blue. Another star was green. The third star was orange. Another was red. And the final star was purple.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Alright. So now we go back 10 years into the past long before Devon and Sora were chosen by their Keyblades. Throughout several chapters, we shall see how Shara and Ducar experienced their journey as Keyblade Wielders. We shall also see how they raised their son, Devon to become The Legendary Keyblade Wielder destined restore peace to the Universe and bring balance to Light and Darkness. The next chapters will only focus on Shara and Ducar's adventure and experiences. For voice reference, Shara is voiced by Sandra Bullock, the voice of Miriam from the one of the most inspirational films: _Prince of Egypt_. And Ducar is voiced by Jeff Bennett, the voice of Revan in the MMOG, _Star Wars: The Old Republic_. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	2. The Journey into the Worlds

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _Land of Departure_ )

Shara, Ducar, Terra, and Aqua all stood ready for the Mark of Mastery exam while Ventus and 5 year-old Devon watched as witnesses. They both looked to their left and saw Master Xehanort look toward them with a grin on his face. In that moment, Master Eraqus steps forward.

Master Eraqus was a strong, caring Keyblade Master who helped train Shara, Ducar, Terra, Ventus, and Aqua in the ways of the Keyblade.

"Today, you will be examined for the Mark of Mastery. Not one but four of the Keyblade's chosen stand as candidates but this is neither a competition nor a battle of supremacy. Not a test of will, but a test of heart. All of you may prevail or neither. But I am sure our guest, Master Xehanort, did not travel all this way to see our youngest prospects in years fall short of the mark. I trust that you are ready?" Master Eraqus says

"Yes." Terra, Aqua, Shara, and Ducar say in unison

"Then let the examination begin!" Master Eraqus says holding his Keyblade

In Master Eraqus' hands was his Keyblade known as Master Keeper. Master Eraqus' Keyblade shines with light for a brief moment, making six large orbs of light appear out of thin air. Shara, Ducar, Terra, and Aqua all draw their Keyblades and prepared themselves.

Before the four Keyblade Wielders could start, Master Xehanort secretly waves his right-hand causing a dark aura to envelope the orbs of light, catching Shara, Ducar, Terra, Aqua, even Master Eraqus by surprise. One of the orbs of light head toward Devon and Ventus.

"Ven!" Terra and Aqua cry out in unison

"Devon!" Shara and Ducar cry out in unison

Ventus summons his Keyblade holding it in a reverse grip and strikes down the orb of light with a downward slash.

"Don't worry about us! You guys focus on the exam!" Ventus says

"Ven, you and Devon are in danger! Go wait in your rooms!" Aqua says

"No way! I've been looking forward to this and Devon has too. Watching you guys become masters. We're not gonna miss this now!" Ventus says

"They can take care of themselves. They've been training just as hard as us." Terra says

"Yeah!" Ventus says

"Stay sharp, Ven." Aqua says

"Devon, your mother and I want you to stay right where you are. Do you understand?" Ducar says

"Sure thing, dad! Go get 'em!" Devon cheers

Ducar and Shara swing their Keyblades at two orbs of light, sending them into oblivion with only a single strike. Terra cleaves his Keyblade down on an orb of light, slicing it in half down the center. Ventus swiftly swings his Keyblade at one of the orbs, slicing it into shards of light. Aqua swings her Keyblade at the orbs of light with a right slash, splitting it across. Devon watched in amazement as Terra, Ventus, Aqua, and his mother and father deal with the orbs of light. Watching them use their Keyblades truly inspired Devon more than ever to become a great Keyblade Wielder. Soon, the last of the orbs of light had been dealt with.

"That was unexpected, but one must keep a still heart even in the most trying of circumstances. It was an excellent test, one I chose to let unfold. Which brings us to your next trial." Master Eraqus says

Ventus rejoined Devon on the sidelines along with Shara and Ducar as they awaited their turn. Terra and Aqua approached and faced each other with their Keyblades drawn.

"Now, Terra and Aqua, the two of you will face each other in combat. Remember, there are no winners, only truths, for when equal powers clash, their true nature is revealed." Master Eraqus says

Terra and Aqua got into battle stance as they awaited Master Eraqus' signal.

"Begin!" Master Eraqus says

Within moments, Terra and Aqua sprint toward each other and their Keyblades clash with a loud clang. Terra swings his Keyblade down at Aqua who uses her Keyblade to defend against the attacks. Aqua retaliates by swinging her Keyblade at Terra who blocks her attack as well. Terra swings his Keyblade with an uppercut and a downward slash, then swings right, left, and right, but Aqua jumps back, continuously dodging the attacks. She soon retaliates by swinging her Keyblade with an uppercut at Terra. Aqua swings with another uppercut and the blow came only inches away from Terra's face, but he jumps back away from her.

Terra slid back across the floor after dodging that blow. He looked up and saw Aqua charging toward him. Terra lets out a grunt and suddenly, his left-hand radiates with darkness. Terra notices this, but then quickly focuses back on the task at hand. He clenches his fist and quickly holds up his Keyblade with just his right-arm to blocks Aqua's blow. The fighting continued for several minutes until Master Eraqus stops the battle.

"That's enough." Master Eraqus says

Terra and Aqua soon stop and stand before Master Eraqus.

"Well done, Terra and Aqua. Next up is Shara and Ducar." Master Eraqus says

Shara and Ducar steps forward and stand before Master Eraqus

"Shara and Ducar, like Terra and Aqua, the two of you shall face each other in single combat. Remember, there are no winners, only truths, for when equal powers clash, their true nature is revealed." Master Eraqus says

Shara and Ducar both got into battle stance, awaiting Master Eraqus' signal.

"Begin!" Master Eraqus says

Within moments, Shara and Ducar sprint toward each other and their Keyblades clash. Ducar swings his Keyblade at Shara who quickly blocks the attack and counters with a swing of her Keyblade. Ducar quickly jumps over the attack and flips over Shara, swinging his Keyblade down at her. Shara raises her Keyblade up and blocks the attack. Ducar lands behind Shara and quickly whirls around, swinging his Keyblade at his wife. Shara quickly whirls around and holds up her Keyblade to defend against the blow. She then counters with a thrust of her Keyblade at Ducar who jumps to the left, dodging the attack. Shara continues her assault, swinging her Keyblade left and right at Ducar while he parries against each blow that was thrown at him. Shara swings her Keyblade once more at Ducar, but he leans his body back, making the Keyblade miss him by inches above his chest.

Ducar jumps back and Shara sprints toward him with her Keyblade in hand. Ducar leers at Shara as she charges at him. Suddenly, his eyes briefly flash red. Ducar shakes his head and notices Shara, swinging her Keyblade down at him. Reacting quickly, he holds his Keyblade up to defend against the blow. The fighting continued for several minutes until Master Eraqus stops the battle.

After having completed the exam, Shara, Ducar, Terra, and Aqua stood before Master Eraqus and Master Xehanort.

"We have deliberated and reached a decision. Terra, Aqua, Shara, Ducar, you all performed commendably. However, only Aqua and Shara have shown the Mark of Mastery. Terra, Ducar, you both failed to keep the darkness within you sufficiently in check. But there is always next time. That is all. Aqua, Shara, as our newest Keyblade Masters, you are both entitled to certain knowledge. Please wait here for further instructions." Master Eraqus says

Having said that, Master Eraqus and Master Xehanort exit the room. Devon and Ventus approach Shara, Ducar, Terra, and Aqua. The two young boys and women felt concerned for the two young men as they felt a bit disappointed that they failed.

"Terra, Ducar, I'm sorry." Ventus says

"The darkness. Where did it come from?" Terra says

"Dad? Are you alright?" Devon asks feeling concerned

Ducar doesn't respond and remains silent.

"I'm sorry. But I need some time alone." Terra says

Having said that, Terra exits the room. Soon after, Ducar also takes his leave of the room.

"Dad!" Devon cries out

( _Meanwhile_ )

Elsewhere in the castle, Master Xehanort met with a mysterious figure whose origin was unknown. This figure was known by Master Xehanort as Vanitas who was a cruel individual. As of right now, he had his helmet underneath his right-arm.

"What do you make of Ventus?" Master Xehanort asks

"He ain't gonna cut it. Somebody's gotta break that loser in." Vanitas says

"Not here, you won't. I have to keep up appearances." Master Xehanort says

Vanitas puts his helmet on over his head.

"I know that. He just needs a little incentive to leave home." Vanitas says

( _Meanwhile_ )

In his room, Ducar stood on the balcony outside staring off into the distance thinking about what happened during the Mark of Mastery Exam. A powerful darkness lurked inside Ducar's heart and he never knew it was there. It was all so new to him.

"How? How could the darkness lurk in my heart and yet I not know about it? It just doesn't make any sense." Ducar says to himself

Suddenly, Ducar heard a sinister voice speaking out to him.

 **"IT IS SIMPLE."** The dark voice says

Ducar quickly turns around in reaction to the dark voice and he saw a dark corridor appear out of nowhere. The dark corridor closes and standing before Ducar was a familiar figure. It was none other than Lord Thanatos.

 **"DEEP WITHIN YOUR HEART, THERE IS FEAR. FEAR OF LOSING THOSE CLOSEST TO YOUR HEART. FEAR OF LOSING YOUR HEART TO THE DARKNESS. FEAR OF LOSING CONTROL. THE FEAR OF DEATH."** Lord Thanatos says

"Who are you?!" Ducar asks in a demanding voice

 **"THAT NEED NOT CONCERN YOU, DUCAR. WHAT YOU SHOULD BE CONCERNED OF IS THE DARKNESS EATING AWAY AT YOUR HEART.** " Lord Thanatos says

"How do you know my name!" Ducar asks demanding an answer

 **"I KNOW ALL THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS: TERRA, VENTUS, AQUA, YOUR BELOVED WIFE, SHARA, EVEN YOUR PRECIOUS SON, DEVON, THE FUTURE KEYBLADE MASTER OF LIGHT."** Lord Thanatos says

Ducar's eyes widened in shock. Lord Thanatos knew of him and his family. How was that possible?

 **"YES. WE'VE ALWAYS KNOWN WHO YOU WERE. THE DARKNESS INSIDE YOU REVEALED TO US YOUR IDENTITY. AND FROM WHAT I CAN SENSE, YOU POSSESS A GREAT DARKNESS INSIDE YOU, DUCAR."** Lord Thanatos says

"If you believe I would allow darkness to corrupt me, you are dead wrong!" Ducar says

Ducar suddenly heard bells ringing throughout the castle and rushed out of the room.

 **"WE SHALL SEE, DUCAR. WE SHALL SEE. HM HM HM HM HM..."** Lord Thanatos says

Having said that, Lord Thanatos disappears into the darkness.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Terra sat on the stairs outside the castle. Like Ducar, he was concerned about the darkness that loomed inside him.

"There's darkness within me. So what does that matter?! I know I am strong enough to hold it back and I'm sure Ducar is strong as well." Terra says

"Yes. You and Ducar are indeed strong. The darkness is nothing to fear." An old male voice says

Terra rises to his feet, turns around, and sees Master Xehanort at the top of the stairs.

"Master Xehanort." Terra says

"And yet, how frustrating that Eraqus refutes it's power. Why you and Ducar could train with him forever and still, you'd never be a master in his eyes." Master Xehanort says as he heads down the stairs

"But why? Help me understand, Master Xehanort. What is it that Ducar and I failed to learn?" Terra says

"You and Ducar are fine as you are. Darkness cannot be destroyed, it can only be channeled." Master Xehanort says walking past Terra

"Yes. Thank you, Master." Terra says bowing slightly to Master Xehanort

Suddenly, the bell sounds off throughout the castle. Terra takes notice and heads back into the castle. Master Xehanort smiles as he walks away. A corridor of darkness appears infront of Master Xehanort and he walks into the darkness. As soon as he enters, the dark portal closes as soon as he enters

( _Meanwhile_ )

Ventus was lying on his bed in his room swinging a wooden Keyblade over him. The wooden Keyblade had Terra's name scratched on it's hilt. Ventus soon hears the bell ring throughout the castle and rushes off his bed toward the door.

"Better hurry, Ventus." A voice says

Just before he leaves the room, Ventus turns around and saw Vanitas leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Who are you?" Ventus asks

"Or you'll never see Terra or Ducar again." Vanitas says

"What? Get real! I can see Terra and Ducar anytime I want!" Ventus says

"Like right now? They're leaving you behind. And by the time you catch up with them, they'll be a different person." Vanitas says

"Look, whoever you are, you don't know the first thing about Terra or Ducar. Me, Terra, and Ducar will always be a team. You trying to pick a fight or what?" Ventus says

"Oh, grow up. Is that what you call friendship? You'll never know the truth unless you go out and look for it yourself. Come on, what could you possibly know when you're stuck here looking at nothing but what's in your tiny world?" Vanitas says

A dark portal opens infront of Vanitas and he steps inside, vanishing into the darkness. As Vanitas disappears, Ventus looks back at all the good times he had with Terra and Ducar. He remembers how he, Terra and Ducar used to train and laugh together. Will Terra and Ducar truly change as Vanitas said they would? This was something he now wanted to find out.

"Terra! Ducar!" Ventus exclaims

Having said that, Ventus bursts out of the room, searching for the two men.

( _Meanwhile_ )

In the Throne Room, Shara, Devon and Aqua met with Master Eraqus.

"And insomuch as you both are now Keyblade Masters, you must always be conscious of-" Master Eraqus says before he was interrupted

Bells began ringing throughout the castle. Master Eraqus turned around and directed his attention to a blue crystal planted on the wall behind the chairs as it glowed brightly with light.

"What is that?" Master Eraqus asks walking toward the wall behind the three chairs

In that moment, Terra and Ducar burst into the room

"Is everyone alright?" Ducar asks

"What happened?" Terra asks

"I don't know?" Aqua says

"Mom, Dad, what's going on?" Devon asks

Shara lowers herself down to Devon and places her hands on her son's shoulders.

"I'm not sure, Devon." Shara says

"Why isn't Ven here?" Devon asks looking around for Ven

"Very well then. I will send my pupils to investigate. Yes. I understand. Farewell." Master Eraqus says

Master Eraqus turns toward his pupils.

"That was my dear old friend, Yen Sid. As you know, he is master no more, but he helps The Inheritor keep a close eye on the tides of light and darkness. His counsel serve as signposts on the road we wielders of the Keyblade must walk. All the more reason for concern for he tells me the Princesses of Heart as well as the worlds are in danger. Not only from the forces of darkness as you may assume but also from a new threat, one that feeds on Negativity. Fledging emotions that have taken monster form. The Inheritor calls them 'The Unversed.' As wielders of the Keyblade, you are tasked with striking down any who would upset the balance of light and darkness. The Unversed are no exception. I tried to pass this news onto Master Xehanort but my repeated attempts to reach him has failed. I doubt there is any connection and yet, this all troubles me." Master Eraqus says

"Master Xehanort is gone?" Ducar asks

"So here we are. I need you to get this situation under control. Eliminate the Unversed and find Master Xehanort. I have unlocked the Lanes Between. You may use these forbidden pathways to travel between this world and countless others. The darkness looms closer than usual within these spaces, but your armor will protect you. Now go, and fulfill your duty." Master Eraqus says

"Yes, Master." Shara, Ducar, Terra, and Aqua say in unison

Terra and Ducar turned around to head on out, but Master Eraqus calls them.

"Terra. Ducar." Master Eraqus says

The two men turn around to look at their mentor.

"Consider this an opportunity. A second chance for you to change my mind." Master Eraqus says

"What?" Terra and Ducar ask feeling confused

"You must understand. I care for you two like my own sons. If I could have my way, I would name you Masters in a second. But how can I when you are both so obsessed with power? Terra, Ducar, you mustn't be afraid of losing. Fear leads to obsession with power and obsession beckons the darkness." Master Eraqus says

Master Eraqus walks up to Terra and Ducar and places his hands on both their shoulders.

"You must never forget." Master Eraqus says

"Thank you, Master. I swear. We will not fail you again." Terra says

"Mom? Dad?" Devon says

Ducar kneels down to Devon.

"Devon, your mother and I have to go on a little trip. You are to remain here with Master Eraqus and Ventus until we return. Do you understand?" Ducar says

"Yeah, dad. I do." Devon says

Ducar places his right-hand on Devon's face and smiles.

"Don't worry. Your mother and I will be back. And when we do, we'll have so much to tell you. And more importantly, we'll help you train to wield a Keyblade of your own." Ducar says

Having said that, Ducar takes his leave with Terra following close behind.

"Master, we'd best be on our way." Shara says

Shara and Aqua began to take their leave.

"Wait. Before you depart, I have one other...Well, consider it a request of the utmost priority." Master Eraqus says

"Yes?" Aqua says

"What is it?" Shara asks

"I told Terra and Ducar this could be a second chance to show the Mark of Mastery and I meant it. However, that flicker of darkness they displayed during the examination, I can sense it runs very deep. Especially that of Ducar. The darkness he displayed probably runs much deeper than Terra. I saw the look in his eyes. The darkness swells within him. If they were to-If those powers were to prove too much for them to handle, I want you to bring them back to me at once. It's for their own good. I could not bear to lose any of you to the darkness." Master Eraqus says

"Of course. We would never let that happen." Shara says

"We promise. We will bring Terra and Ducar back. Only this time, you'll see they have what it takes to be a Master." Aqua says

"They are not as weak as you think." Shara says to herself

( _Meanwhile_ )

Outside the castle, Terra and Ducar were about to head off on their adventure until they heard Ventus calling them.

"Terra! Ducar!" Ventus calls

Terra and Ducar turn and see Ventus rushing toward them. Ventus comes to a complete stop infront of the two men.

"I-I-" Ventus stammers out of breath

"It's okay." Terra says rubbing Ventus' head

Terra and Ducar smile at Ventus, then turn around. Terra and Ducar press on their left pauldron with their hands and a bright light envelopes the two men, illuminating the area. When the light dims down, Terra and Ducar were in their Keyblade Armor.

Terra's Keyblade Armor was fully clad from head to toe, mostly in shades of dark brown, gold, and red. Dull orange lines decorate the armor as well. Notable additions to his armor include upturned, sharp red hooks on the backs of his boots, and a dark-visored helmet. His helmet sports two tall, red prongs on either side.

Ducar's Keyblade Armor was predominantly jet black and dark blue. His armored boots are jet black with some dark blue and silver metal. His hands and neck are covered by a black material. Ducar's armor had black pauldrons with dark blue edges. Ducar's helmet was mostly jet black except for it's black visor. It has two dark blue prongs, one on each side of the helmet that point backwards and angle diagonally upward. Both prongs had silver edges.

Terra and Ducar take their Keyblades in both their hands and raise them into the air. Both of their Keyblades shoot a beam of light upward into the sky opening a blue portal of light. Terra and Ducar throw their Keyblades into the air and their Keyblades change, becoming Keyblade Gliders. Both Terra and Ducar's Keyblade Gliders resembled speeder bikes. Terra and Ducar jump onto their Keyblade Gliders and take off into the portal.

Ventus watches as Terra and Ducar take off into the portal. He then decides to follow them. Ventus presses his left-pauldron down with his right-hand and a bright light envelopes Ventus' body, illuminating the area. When the light dims down, Ventus was in his Keyblade Armor.

Ventus' Keyblade Armor was predominantly sporting shades of green and gold. The armor on his knee is gold and bears a sharp, upward-pointing hook on the outer side of each one. Ventus's helmet has a notably different design from Aqua and Terra's, appearing more squashed and flat at the top. His helmet also has two prongs on either side of his head which point backwards and angle diagonally upward.

Ventus takes his Keyblade and throws it into the air. His Keyblade changes into a Keyblade Glider which was shaped like a winged waveboard. Ventus jumps onto his Keyblade Glider and takes off into the portal. Shara, Aqua, Devon, and Master Eraqus made it outside just as Ventus took off.

"Wait, Ven!" Aqua cries out

"No! He mustn't!" Master Eraqus says

Master Eraqus turns to Shara and Aqua.

"You have to bring him back!" Master Eraqus says

"Don't worry, Master." Aqua says

"We'll bring Ven back." Shara says

"Mom?" Devon says

Shara kneels down to Devon.

"Don't worry, Devon. Aqua and I will be back. I promise. Your father and I will return." Shara says

Shara kisses Devon on the cheek and rises back on her feet. Shara and Aqua take a few steps forward and switch into their Keyblade Armor. Like her husband, Shara also wore a armored pauldron on her arms. The only difference was that her pauldrons were dark blue and silver. Aqua and Shara both press on their left-pauldron with their hands, causing a bright light to envelope the two women, illuminating the area. When the light dims down, Shara and Aqua were in their Keyblade Armor.

Shara's Keyblade Armor was silver, black, grey, and dark blue. Notable additions include silver breastplates and a dark blue dark-visored helmet. Her helmet bears two prongs on either side, with her silver ones wrapping around the sides and angling diagonally downwards.

Aqua's Keyblade Armor was mostly colored in shades of silver, black, grey and blue. Notable additions include a silver breast plate resembling an upside-down crescent moon and a dark-visored helmet. Her helmet bears two prongs on either side with her silver ones wrapping around the sides and angling diagonally downwards.

Shara and Aqua throw their Keyblades into the air and the Keyblades change becoming Keyblade Gliders. Both Shara and Aqua's Keyblade Gliders both resembled a a two-part bow-and-platform device. Shara and Aqua jump onto their Keyblade Gliders and take off into the portal.

The epic adventure of the five Keyblade Wielders has begun.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** This where where our heroes begin their adventure. Terra, Aqua, Shara, and Ducar all take part in The Mark of Mastery Exam. Unfortunately, Terra and Ducar fail the test due to darkness in their heart. Ducar receives a surprise visit from a familiar figure: Lord Thanatos! Now, with the worlds in danger from the Unversed, it's up to Shara, Ducar, Terra, Ventus, and Aqua to save the Universe. What worlds will Shara and Ducar visit? Will they be able to stand against the Unversed? What surprises are in store for our heroes? We shall see as we begin our story with Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep! Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	3. A New Beginning

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Dragon Realms_ )

Many years ago, a large red dragon named Ignitus walked through the dragon temple and entered a room which had a small pool of green mystical water in the center.

 _"In the Year of the Dragon, in the world beyond the realms, I, like all the others awaited the birth of the dragon of whom the prophecies foretold."_

Ignitus looked at the back of the room where a purple dragon egg was sitting on a pedestal.

 _"But the Dark Master heard the prophecies as well. I should have hidden the eggs long before, but I thought we were ready, I thought they were safe. Oh, how I was wrong."_

Suddenly, the dragon temple began to shake. In that moment, a large yellow dragon named Volteer entered the room.

"Save them! The Dark Armies have come!" Volteer yells

Upon hearing that, Ignitus took the purple egg in his claws and flew out of the dragon temple. He soon landed in a swamp which consisted of mushrooms both large and small. Ignitus placed the purple egg on a large mushroom and set in on a gentle flowing river.

"May the ancestors look after you. May they look after us all." Ignitus says

Ignitus watched as the purple egg floated down the river before disappearing into the night sky.

 _"Eventually, the egg came to rest at a distant swamp, where a family of dragonflies gathered 'round wondering what magnificent creature could possibly live inside."_

Two dragonflies named Nina and Flash approached the egg.

 _"They didn't have to wonder for long."_

The egg began to shake slightly and eventually it hatched.

 _"What emerged from the egg frightened them at first, but finally amazed and astonished them. It was a purple dragon, who they adopted and raised as one of their own."_

( _Present time_ )

Years later to the present time, a young purple dragon named Spyro was playing with his brother, Sparx who was a dragonfly. Spyro leaned against a tree with his wings covering his eyes while Sparx was hiding from him.

"...eight, nine, ten! Here I come!" Spyro says

 _"They named him Spyro and he grew up alongside Sparx, the young dragonfly who was born on the same day. In fact, the two were almost brothers. And a more oddly-matched, yet compatible pair of brothers the world has ever seen."_

 _"_ You'll never catch me, purple boy!" Sparx says

 _"As for Spyro, he, like all of us, accepted the world into which he was born, believing he was one of them. A big purple one of them, true, but one of them nonetheless."_

Spyro looked around and saw Sparx hiding behind a tree.

"I see you, my little glowing friend." Spyro says

"Seeing and catching are two different things, big boy." Sparx says

Sparx flies further into the forest while Spyro watched him go.

"Yeah, you'd better run." Spyro says

Soon enough, Spyro chased after Sparx, heading in the direction he went.

"What's the matter, little Spyro? Can't fly? Ahh, that's right. You walk everywhere. Mmm, that's too bad." Sparx says

"You're toast when I catch you!" Spyro says

"Aaah, must be tough to lose all the time, Sp-" Sparx says

Not paying attention to where he was going, Sparx wound up getting sucked by a Frogweed which swallowed him.

"Alright, let me outta here, you overgrown fungus. Spyro, seriously, lend me a hand over here, will ya, brother?" Sparx says

"Geez, Sparx. I don't know. Frogweeds gotta eat too." Spyro says with a grin on his face

"C'mon, Spyro, whack it! Do something. I'm your buddy. Hurry up! My wings are getting moldy." Sparx says

Spyro rams his head into the Frogweed's stomach, making it spit out Sparx. The Frogweed sinks into the ground after spitting Sparx out. Sparx slams right into Spyro's chest and falls to the ground. He was soon back up flying infront of his dragon brother.

"Ugghhh... now I smell almost as bad as you do. Oooh, and that's pretty bad. See ya later, sucker!" Sparx says

In less than a heartbeat, Sparx took off into the forest, leaving Spyro in the dust.

"So much for gratitude." Spyro sighs

"You know, this is getting a little boring." Sparx says

Suddenly, Sparx was snatched up by a large ape.

"Aah! Aaah!" Sparx screams

"Sparx!" Spyro cries out

"I thought all of youz guys was gone." The ape leader says

"You miserable coward, let me go!" Sparx says

"Grrrr. Ha ha ha ha. Don't let him get away." The ape leader says

The two apes jump down and attack Spyro.

"Let me outta here and fight me like a... thing... whatever you are. You pathetic wretch!" Sparx says

The ape leader jumps down and throws Sparx to the ground.

"Nnnnnnnya! I've had about enough of you..." The ape leader says

"Sparx, look out!" Spyro yells

The ape leader walks over and raises his foot to stomp down on Sparx while Spyro watched in horror.

"Noooooo... aaaahhhhhhhhhh!" Spyro shouts

Suddenly, Spyro let loose a large stream of fire from his mouth which engulfed the two apes in flames, making them run away.

"Wha hoo. Was that fire, dude?" Sparx asks

The ape leader couldn't believe what he just saw and he started to back away.

"I gotta report to Cynder and the Dark Lord!" The ape leader says

With that said, the ape fled into the forest. As soon as the apes were gone, Spyro walked up to Sparx who was still in his cage.

"Spyro, let me outta here. I think my wings are singed." Sparx says

Spyro lifts up the small cage with his mouth and tosses it aside.

"You almost torched me, dude!" Sparx says

Sparx immediately paused when he realized what just happened.

"Wait..." Sparx says

( _Moments later_ )

Spyro and Sparx returned to their home and met with their parents: Nina and Flash.

"You breathed fire! So I'm just about ready to blow the top off that place and kick that guy's booty, when Spyro let loose with some serious flame, dude... No joke. Flames. From his mouth." Sparx says

"I was just trying to help." Spyro says

"Some help. You nearly turned me into ashes, dude." Sparx says

"Mom, dad, you should've seen him. He came out breathing fire... alright? I tell you, it was crazy!" Sparx says

Flash and Nina both looked at each other, then looked back at Spyro and Sparx.

"You don't believe me? Spyro, tell 'em..." Sparx says

"It's true, dad. I swear. I just got real mad, opened my mouth, and whoosh... flame city." Spyro says

"It's not that, Spyro. I believe you both. It's just that your mother and I knew this day would come." Flash says

"What day?" Spyro asks

"The day when we would have to tell you the truth." Flash says

 _"So that was the night that Spyro learned he wasn't really a dragonfly at all, but an exile from an unknown, distant land."_

Over the next couple of minutes, Spyro's parents told him the truth about how they had found him back when he was an egg.

"So... you mean... I'm not your real son?" Spyro asks

"You are our real son. It's just that you came from somewhere else. Far away, where wars rage on and on, and the innocent seem to pay the price." Nina says

 _(Moments later)_

 _"It wasn't long after that night that Spyro decided to venture forth and find his home."_

Spyro was preparing to leave and journey forth into the world when Sparx flew up to him.

"So that's it, huh? Leaving Sparx behind at the old homestead? Not a care in the world, don't look back." Sparx says

"This is your home, Sparx, but just found out that my home is out there somewhere and I've got to find it. Besides, I'm not leaving you behind. I'm just leaving you where you belong." Spyro says

"Well, I thought I belonged with you, 'coz I'm always with you. But I guess I was wrong, huh? I'm sure I'm wrong on a lot of things. You know what? You're right, I'm wrong." Sparx says

After saying that, Sparx flew off, taking his leave.

"Don't worry about him, Spyro. You know how hotheaded he can be. You'll see him when you get back." Flash says

Spyro looked down feeling a bit sad to leave his family.

"Now, now, son, keep your head up, your nose clean, and use that breath of yours wisely. All gifts come with a price." Flash says

Nina flew up and placed her hands on Spyro's head, making him look up at her.

"Don't listen to your father's preaching, Spyro. Just be yourself. It's all any of us can do." Nina says

( _Moments later_ )

 _"So, as hard as it was, Spyro left the only family he'd ever known, and journeyed on... to where he did not know."_

Spyro made his way through the swamp as his journey began. Suddenly, he heard noises all around him which made him feel nervous. He then started making his way quickly through the forest. He soon stopped and looked around his surroundings. He then looked ahead and saw Sparx hovering infront of him, making him jump with a start.

"Ah! Sparx!" Spyro says

"Spyro, so, ah, me and the old man were just chatting and this whole belonging thing, you know, came up, and we decided that best friends belong together...even if one of them is purple and does have some weight issues." Sparx says

"Weight issues, huh? At least I didn't get turned into a lantern." Spyro says

"Oh please. Lantern shmantern. Let's go see what's out there." Sparx says

( _Moments later_ )

Spyro and Sparx continued making their way through the swamp when they suddenly heard a loud roar sound through the air. The two brothers looked at each other with widened eyes and screamed.

"Ahhhhh!" Spyro and Sparx scream

"Breathe, Sparx! Go to your happy place!" Sparx says

The two soon stop and catch their breath.

"What in the world was that?" Spyro asks

"I don't know... but I'm going this way... far from it." Sparx says

With that said, Spyro and Sparx continued with their journey together.

( _Moments later_ )

 _"Which brings us to the moment where Spyro's journey really began. When he and I finally met... again... for the very first time... ahhh, it's a long story."_

Spyro and Sparx walked through a cave until they met Ignitus who was just as surprised as they were to see him.

"And I thought you were a big one. Goodness." Sparx says

"You're... you're alive!" Ignitus gasps

Ignitus then looks down.

"But it's too late... too late." Ignitus says

"Too late for what? Who are you? Do you know me? Where do I come from? What are you? What are we? What am I?!" Spyro asks

"You mean you don't know?" Ignitus asks

"Does it sound like he knows?" Sparx says sarcastically

"You're a dragon. When you were just an egg, it was my job to protect you... It was my job to protect all of you." Ignitus says

"There are others?" Spyro asks

"Others? There were. There were four of us. Guardians that is, and we had one job: ensure that all the eggs were hatched. It was the Year of the Dragon, after all, and our very survival depended on those eggs, but the Temple and the Grotto are now gone... overrun by..." Ignitus says

"Temple? What Temple? Can you take me? Can I see it? Where I came from, I mean?" Spyro asks

"No, no. Who knows what forces occupy the Temple now. What state it's in. You don't understand. After they came for you..." Ignitus says

"They? Who are they? And why did they come for me?" Spyro asks

"Because the prophecies spoke of a Purple Dragon, a dragon born only once every ten generations. You." Ignitus says

"You? Does that mean him?" Sparx asks

Sparx looks at Spyro, then back at Ignitus.

"Wait... this guy? Spyro some special once in a purple thing? Ha ha, I think you might have mixed that one up. Woo, that's a little... bit of a stretch. I've heard some, ah, doozies in my day, but that takes the cake." Sparx asks gesturing to Spyro

"Spyro, is it? Well, Spyro, I assure you that I'm telling the truth. The Dark Armies attacked, intent on destroying the eggs and killing the rest of us. They nearly succeeded... and then they lay siege to the other islands. We were at war. For many years, we fought over the islands. Brutal clashes with the armies of the Dark Master, who was intent on preventing the prophecies from coming true. The other three Guardians and I led our small but valiant forces into battle after battle against our ruthless, mercenary foe. Then, when we were beginning to turn the tide... Cynder came." Ignitus says

"Cynder?" Spyro asks

"Yes, Cynder. Cynder was... is... monstrous, horrific, ferocious, a black dragon that fills the skies with terror, an unstoppable force of nature..." Ignitus says

"Ah, yeah, you had me at ferocious. Listen, sounds like that thing that was chasing us, Spyro." Sparx says

"Yes, she's still searching for me, and years ago I watched as Cynder plucked the other Guardians from the fields of battle, like so many ripe grapes from a vine. Without them, our cause is lost. Only I, Ignitus, managed to escape. Not that it matters. Cynder now rules all... and I sit here wondering what might have been. What else I might have done." Ignitus says

"Wow... sounds... fun. I wanna hang out with this guy." Sparx says

"Yeah, why have you given up? I just find out that I'm this special dragon, and you tell me all is lost? That I have no home or family left? I've come way too far to give up now. I wanna see where I come from." Spyro says

"Hold up, savior boy, were you not listening to this guy? He's talking about flying dragons, and war, and horrible... this is bad stuff, alright? I don't know if we're hearing the same thing." Sparx says

"Yes, Spyro, it's not as simple as that. It's true, the prophecies spoke of a purple dragon destined to put his stamp on his age, but the prophecies didn't foretell the devastation that surrounds us now." Ignitus says

"Maybe you're right, but I'm willing to try. I want to take the first step." Spyro says

"You're actually gonna go along with this lunatic?" Sparx asks

"Very well then. We'll go. You deserve to see your beginning before it all ends." Ignitus says

With that said, Ignitus began heading for the Dragon Temple while Spyro followed him. Sparx was a bit reluctant, but nevertheless, he followed the two dragons.

"Am I the only one sane here? He's telling us we're doomed alright? That's when I go, ah, maybe we should go back to the forest with the flowers and the fun stuff." Sparx says

( _The Dragon Temple_ )

A blue portal of light opened up and out stepped Ducar in his Keyblade Armor. The portal of light closes and Ducar's Keyblade Armor magically disappears in a flash of light. Ducar looks around his surroundings and found himself inside a temple of some sorts. He looked to his left and saw a dragon statue. Suddenly, he heard voices deeper inside the temple.

"Ignitus, what are these things?" A voice says

"I am not sure. These creatures are very mysterious." Another voice says

"Well whatever they are, they're gonna beat the crud out of us!" A third voice says

Ducar heads deeper into the Dragon Temple, following the voices. He came upon a ledge that overlooked an open area down below and what he saw amazed him. Ducar saw the large red dragon, Ignitus, Spyro, and Sparx. He also noticed strange creatures surrounding them. It turns out these were the Unversed. The creatures of negativity that Master Eraqus spoke of.

"Those must be the Unversed. The ones Master Eraqus spoke of." Ducar says

Ducar summons his Keyblade: Vanguard of Honor into his right-hand.

The Unversed surrounding Ignitus, Spyro, and Sparx were known as Flood.

The Flood were sleek, humanoid creatures with dark black skin. Their arms and legs end in points and have no distinct digits. It has a triangular head with two long, jagged, lightning bolt-shaped antennae reminiscent of the Unversed symbol. Its red eyes had an angry expression, and it moves in a jerking, twitchy motion.

"Uh, Spyro, I don't like the looks of this." Sparx says

"You and me both, Sparx." Spyro says

One of the Floods leaps toward the trio for an attack. But before it could reach them, Ducar jumps into action and cuts through it with his Keyblade, casting it into oblivion. He then lands infront of Ignitus, Spyro, and Sparx who were caught completely surprised by his entrance.

"Stay back. Leave me to deal with them." Ducar says in a calm voice

The Flood immediately turn their attention to Ducar and attack him. One Flood swipes it's claws at Ducar, but he jumps into the air and casts down the Flood with a swipe of his Keyblade. Two more Flood try to attack Ducar at the same time. Without even looking, Ducar jumps into the air and spins around, swinging his Keyblade at both of the Unversed. Ducar lands back on the ground, leaps toward a Flood, and lunges his Keyblade at it. The Unversed disintigrates from the attack.

"Wow. That guy's got some moves." Sparx says

"Yeah. Look at him go." Spyro says

Several more Unversed appear out of the shadows infront of Ducar. Ducar motions his Keyblade back, then quickly swinging his Keyblade upward, downward, then swings left and right four times, destroying each of the Unversed. He jumps toward a Flood, cleaving his Keyblade downward, spins toward another Flood swinging his Keyblade, and finally cleaves his Keyblade down on another Flood. The final Flood tries to attack Ducar from behind. Ducar holds his Keyblade behind him and zips past the Flood, striking it down with a single, fast, devastating strike.

Soon, all of the Unversed were defeated leaving Ignitus, Spyro, and Sparx completely amazed as to how Ducar fought with his Keyblade.

"Ok. Who did not think that was cool!? I certaintly did!" Sparx says

"That was amazing!" Spyro says

"Indeed. I have never seen such a warrior fight valiantly." Ignitus says

Ducar spins his Keyblade infront of him, then brings it to his right-side before he de-summons it in a flash of light. After dealing with the Unversed, Ducar turns around to face the two dragons and the dragonfly. Ducar stood much taller than Spyro with the purple dragon's height going as far up to Ducar's waist. As for Ignitus, Ducar stood as high up to his chest.

"Thank you for saving us from those dark creatures." Ignitus says

"You are most welcome. I am Ducar."

"Very pleased to meet you, Ducar. I am Ignitus, the Guardian of Fire."

"I'm Spyro and this is my brother, Sparx."

"What up man! Your moves were off the hook!" Sparx says

"Wait. I've never seen you in the Dragon Realms before. And if I am correct, you are an off-worlder?" Ignitus says

"In that, Ignitus, you are correct. I am a Keyblade Wielder." Ducar says

"A Keyblade Wielder?" Spyro says confused

"A powerful warrior of light and darkness. A Guardian of the Universe and it's inhabitants." Ducar says

"And what about that giant key you used, huh? You helping people unlock the doors to their giant houses or something?" Sparx jokes

"Sparx!" Spyro says giving the dragonfly a deadpan look

"A Keyblade is a powerful weapon that has many special, magical powers." Ducar says

Ducar stretches his right-hand out and in a flash of light, his Keyblade appears in his hand, surprising Spyro, Sparx, even Ignitus.

"Of course. I have heard rumors and legends of these Keyblade Wielders, but I never thought they would be true." Ignitus says

"How do you know, Ignitus?" Spyro asks

"Our ancestors spoke of mighty, powerful warriors that possess god-like powers fighting the forces of darkness always willing to protect and serve." Ignitus says

"But that's not all. There are also Keyblade Wielders of darkness that care nothing for the suffering of others and only seek to satisfy themselves with ultimate power. I'm not sure if there any around though." Ducar says

"Keyblade Wielders of light and darkness. That's amazing." Spyro says

"But why are you here?" Ignitus asks

"I was sent by my Master, Eraqus to investigate a disturbance between the balance of light and darkness. I am looking to seek the source of this disturbance and eliminate it. My friends, Terra, Aqua, my wife, Shara, and myself were told of the worlds being in danger from the forces of darkness and the Unversed. And so we ventured out into the Universe to fight and maintain peace throughout the worlds." Ducar says

"Wow. That's quite a story." Spyro says

"Indeed. Your quest sounds like a perilous one." Ignitus says

"Whoa! Whoa! Unversed? Is that what those ugly monsters were?" Sparx asks

"I must assume so." Ducar says

"Well, we will gladly accept any help you can offer, Ducar. We might as well need your help anyway. No doubt, destiny has brought you here for a purpose." Ignitus says

"If you are in dire need of assistance, I am more than happy to help. That is why I am here." Ducar says

"Thank you. Spyro, Ducar, follow me." Ignitus says

With Ducar now joining them, Spyro, and Sparx followed Ignitus into the Dragon Temple. Exploring the temple, the heroes saw a large dragon statue with glowing yellow eyes. Then, they followed Ignitus outside onto a round balcony. What Ducar and Spyro saw made them gasp in shock. The landscape they saw infront of them was covered darkness. Dark clouds blanketed the skies and dark blue lightning illuminated the skies with it's ominous light.

"What happened here?" Spyro asks

"This is what Cynder has done. She has put all the islands under her iron rule." Ignitus says

"I wanted to see where I came from, but I didn't know it was going to be like this." Spyro says

"Yeah, no offense, but this place is a dump." Sparx says

"Cynder... Tell me more about her." Ducar says

"Cynder is a monstrous, horrific, ferocious black dragon that fills the skies with terror." Ignitus says

"A dragon full of darkness. I should've known." Ducar says

"This was once our home. But together, we can make it our home once again and reclaim what's rightfully ours." Ignitus says

"What do you mean?" Spyro asks

"I mean that my time for heroics is past, but with your help and Ducar's aid, we might be able to defeat Cynder." Ignitus says

"I-I can't, Ignitus. I just learned what I am." Spyro says

"You can, Spyro, you can. You are a purple dragon, a very special creature. You and Ducar have both given me hope again." Ignitus says

Ducar, Spyro, and Ignitus look out into the open world.

"Now, it's time to give hope to all of them." Ignitus says

"I'm not sure what help I can be, Ignitus, but I'll try..." Spyro says

Spyro gathered up his courage and put on a look of determination.

"I'll try." Spyro says feeling determined

"And you won't have to go alone." Ducar says

Spyro looks up at Ducar with a smile on his face.

"Thanks, Ducar." Spyro says

"Good. That's all I can ask. Now, both of you, come with me." Ignitus says

Ducar, Spyro, Sparx, and Ignitus head back into the Dragon Temple and enter the room with the large dragon statue.

"Now then, if you are to have a chance against Cynder and her army, Spyro, you're going to need to learn a lot more. Now...it is time to unleash the true dragon within you." Ignitus says

As soon as Ignitus said that, the dragon statue began to lower down into a hole.

"Each of the Guardian is master of a single element. I, as you may have surmised,  
am master of fire. Pay attention and you may be one day too. Now, let us begin." Ignitus says

Ignitus and Ducar walked over to the door which they entered the chamber and watched as Spyro took on some training.

"For your first test, I want you to use your Fire Breath against these dummies." Ignitus says

Four small dojo dummies appeared infront of Spyro and the purple dragon got into battle stance. The dojo dummies were animated and shaped like the apes that Spyro and Sparx had encountered earlier. Within moments, the dummies attacked, but Spyro quickly made short work of them with his Fire Breath, burning the dummies to a crisp.

"Very good, young dragon. Now for you next test, I want you to try and breathe a ball of fire upon these dummies." Ignitus says

Four medium dojo dummies appeared infront of Spyro and the purple dragon got into battle stance again. Two of the dummies charged at Spyro, but he shot them down with two fireballs fired from his mouth. A third dummy swings it's club down on Spyro, but he jumped over to the side and shot a fireball at it. The final dummy charged at Spyro and swinged it's club down on him, but the purple dragon jumped back and brought the dummy down with a well-placed fireball from his mouth.

"You have demonstrated the ability to control and manipulate fire, Spyro. It is clear that you have a strong kinship with the flame. But now, it is time for your final challenge. I want you to gather all fire burning inside you and unleash it upon these dummies." Ignitus says

Eight medium dojo dummies appeared around Spyro and surrounded him. Spyro began to levitate in mid-air with his entire body enveloped in flames. Just as the dummies closed in on him, Spyro unleashes a large shockwave of fire which disintegrates the dummies.

"Well done, Spyro. You may have a chance against Cynder yet." Ignitus says

Spyro walks back over to Ignitus and Ducar. Then, the two dragons look at Ducar wanting to see what he could do.

"Now, let's see how Ducar fares with his Keyblade." Ignitus says

Ducar nods in acknowledgment and he steps forward. Six medium dojo dummies appeared infront of Ducar who summoned his Keyblade in a flash of light in his right-hand. Ducar spins his Keyblade around his body, then draws it to his right-side, holding it with both hands.

The dummies made the first move and they all charged toward Ducar. While the dummies charged at him, Ducar just stood where he was with his Keyblade held infront of him with his eyes closed. Suddenly, his body began to emit a bright red aura and flames started to engulf both his body and his Keyblade. Just as the dummies reached him, Ducar opened his eyes which briefly had fire burning inside them. He crosses his arms, then thrusts them out, causing a burst of fire to explode from his body, destroying all the dummies around him.

Eight more dojo dummies appear infront of Ducar and they attack him. Now, it was Ducar's turn to attack. Ducar strikes four dummies with four spinning slashes, slicing through each of them with his flaming Keyblade. The other four dummies charge at Ducar, intending to strike him all at once. Ducar jumped into the air, making the dummies miss. While in the air, Ducar swinged his Keyblade with a right swing, launching four fireballs at the dummies. The fireballs hit with direct impact, blowing the dummies into oblivion.

Again, eight more dojo dummies appear infront of Ducar and they charge at him. Ducar struck first by throwing his flaming Keyblade at four of the dummies. His Keyblade slices through two dummies with a clean hit, then flies back around like a boomerang and takes out two more dummies before Ducar catches it in his hand. Ducar rushes forward at the other four dummies with his body cloaked in flames and strikes with a left-diagonal slash while a revolving ring of fire surrounded him.

A final group of eight dojo dummies appeared infront of Ducar and they all charged at him at once. Ducar stood his ground and held his Keyblade infront of him as he prepared to unleash a powerful attack. A fireball appeared on the tip of Ducar's Keyblade and it started to grow in size, becoming larger and larger. The fireball was soon larger than Ducar himself and it dwarfed him in size. It even was larger than Ignitus who was quite surprised. Even Spyro and Sparx were astonished by how big the fireball was. As soon as he was fully charged, Ducar leaps into the air and hurls the large fireball down toward the dummies. Upon impact, the fireball detonates in a blinding explosion, disintegrating the dummies in a fiery blaze. Spyro, Sparx, and Ignitus shielded themselves from the explosion. The whole chamber was covered in a thick blanket of smoke.

When the smoke fades away, there in the center of the chamber was Ducar who was down on one knee with his Keyblade held behind his back. He rose up to his feet and looked ahead of him. He saw Spyro, Sparx, and Ignitus staring at him with widened eyes and looks of astonishment clear on their faces. They had no idea that Ducar was this powerful with his Keyblade. Sparx soon broke the silence and spoke first.

"Ok, that settle it. Ducar is a-ma-zing! Simply amazing!" Sparx says

"Ducar, that was incredible. I had no idea you could use fire like that. How could you even do all that?" Spyro says

"When it comes to being a Keyblade Wielder, many things are possible. What you just saw was a demonstration of my ability to harness some of the Keyblade's mystical powers." Ducar says

"Are there any other cool stuff you can do with that fancy, shmancy Keyblade of yours?" Sparx asks

"You may yet see, Sparx. You may yet see." Ducar says with a grin

( _Moments later_ )

Ducar, Spyro, Sparx and Ignitus enter a room with a large green pool of water.

"So what's with the pool, big guy?" Sparx asks

"If you must know, certain dragons have the ability to see vision, the thoughts, memories, and dreams of others and to see what is happening in places far, far away. I am one such dragon and in this pool the visions come forth." Ignitus says

Ignitus turns to look at Ducar.

"Perhaps we should look into the pool to learn more about you, Ducar. To know what you're dreams are, and the memories you carry with you." Ignitus says

"Of course. I'd be more than happy to share my thoughts with you." Ducar says

With that said, Spyro, Sparx and Ignitus looked into the pool. In the pool, Spyro, Sparx, and Ignitus saw Terra, Ventus, Aqua, Shara, Ducar, and Devon sitting on the ledge. Ventus had a wooden sword sitting on his lap while Devon had a wooden Keyblade sitting on his lap with his name etched into the guard. Terra also had a wooden Keyblade and like Devon, his Keyblade also had his name etched into the guard.

 _"Ven, Devon, you see all those dents and nicks you got?"_ _Ducar asks_

 _"Each one of those is proof you're learning." Shara says_

 _"You're both trying to hard to move your body. You need to learn to let your body move you." Terra says_

Terra stands to his feet with his wooden Keyblade and holds it up.

 _"In your hand, take this blade. And so long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, it's wielder you shall one day be made." Terra says_

 _"What's that about? Who went and made you master?" Aqua says_

 _"Being a Keyblade Master is all I dreamed about." Terra says_

 _"Well, you're not the only one." Aqua says_

 _"I know. You, Ven, Shara, Ducar, Devon, and me all share the same dream." Terra says_

After looking into the pool, Spyro, Sparx, and Ignitus look toward Ducar.

"Those people in the vision. They're your friends?" Spyro asks

"Yeah. That was Terra, Ventus, Aqua, my wife, Shara, and my son, Devon." Ducar says

"So it is true. You are a Keyblade Master." Ignitus says

"Not quite. During the Mark of Master Exam, I failed to maintain the darkness within my heart." Ducar says

Ducar places his right-hand on his heart.

"Now, I am looking for a means to overcome that darkness so that I may show I have what it takes to be a Keyblade Master." Ducar says

"I see. And I believe you will succeed. In your heart, Ducar, although there is darkness, there is also light. I look at you and I see an honorable warrior." Ignitus says

Ducar looks up at Ignitus with a smile on his face.

"Thank you, Ignitus. That means a lot." Ducar says

"Yeah, yeah. That's great in all. But can we get this over with?" Sparx says

"Now, one of the Guardians, Volteer is being held on Dante's Freezer. Spyro, Ducar, while I look for details on the others, I want you both to venture there and find out what you can. Remember, just look around. If you encounter Cynder, run. Even with Ducar being as powerful as he is, you are not ready to face her yet." Ignitus says

"Okay, so when people are trying to kill me, I run. Got it." Sparx says

"But Ignitus, how do we get there?" Spyro asks

"I'm glad you asked." Ignitus says with a smile

"Why are you smiling? I don't like where this is going." Sparx says

( _Moments later_ )

Ducar, Spyro, Sparx and Ignitus headed back outside the temple onto the balcony.

"Let me get this straight. You're saying that I... can fly?" Spyro asks

"Maybe you've been hanging in those caves a little too long, old man. Spyro can't fly. We all know that." Sparx says

"Yeah, a bit of fresh air might do you good. I've never flown in my life." Spyro says

"It's you that will be getting some fresh air, Spyro. Now, close your eyes, take a deep breath and empty your mind." Ignitus says

Spyro does as instructed and closed his eyes.

"Good. Feel the power of the ancestors coursing through your body. In times of crisis, they will come to you and teach you, unlocking powers you never knew you had." Ignitus says

"Oh this I gotta see." Sparx says

"Just forget everything you ever thought you knew. Forget yourself. Only through forgetting, will you remember what your ancient blood already knows: you can fly." Ignitus says

With his eyes still closed, Spyro began flapping his wings and slowly began to hover above the ground. When he opened his eyes, Spyro found himself hovering above the ground and was surprised.

"Alright. Now that Spyro knows how to fly, it's time we get things started." Ducar says

Ducar presses on his left-pauldron with his right-hand and a bright light envelopes his body, illuminating the entire area. Spyro, Sparx and Ignitus shield themselves from the blinding light. When the light dims down, Ducar was in his Keyblade Armor. Spyro, Sparx, and Ignitus all looked amazed at Ducar.

"Wow. Nice armor, man." Sparx says

Ducar looks down toward Spyro in his Keyblade Armor.

"Spyro, are you ready?" Ducar asks

"I'm ready." Spyro says

Ducar nods in agreement. Ducar takes his Keyblade and throws it into the air. His Keyblade changes into his Keyblade Glider and it flies down to him. Ducar jumps onto his Keyblade Glider while Spyro, Sparx, and Ignitus look at him in amazement.

"Nice ride." Sparx says

"Let's go!" Ducar says

With that said, Ducar takes off into the sky with Spyro and Sparx following close behind as they begin their journey together.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** To start things off, we begin with Ducar's journey in The Dragon Realms where Ducar meets Spyro, Sparx and Ignitus and helps them to stop Cynder, the Black Dragon, the Terror of the Skies. That's right! Ducar starts his journey fighting alongside Spyro from _Spyro: A New Beginning_ and this is how it begins! Now, it's off to save the other Guardians. What dangers will Ducar face alongside the Purple Dragon? We shall soon see. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	4. Volteer, Guardian of Electricity

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _Elsewhere_ )

Ducar in his Keyblade Armor was on his Keyblade Glider flying to Dante's Freezer with Spyro and Sparx to help save Volteer.

"Are you kidding?! He's flying! Welcome to the club, big boy!" Sparx says

"Would that be the annoying pest club?" Spyro asks looking left at Sparx

"No, smart aleck, the flight club." Sparx says

Ducar flew up to Spyro on his right and checked up on him.

"You doing alright, Spyro?" Ducar asks

"Yeah! I could get used to this!" Spyro says

As they were flying across the sky, Ducar and Spyro saw Cynder's Forces up ahead. Apes were on ships down on the frozen waters below while Dreadwings attacked from the air. But it wasn't just Apes and Dreadwings, there were also Unversed. Unlike the Unversed Ducar fought before, these Unversed could fly as well. These bird-like Unversed were known as Archravens.

"More Unversed." Ducar says

"So those things are Unversed." Spyro says

"These look different from the ones before." Sparx says

"There must be other kinds of Unversed like these." Ducar says

"Really? Well, they're coming right at us!" Sparx says

The Dreadwings and Archravens flew toward Ducar and Spyro and attacked.

One of the Archravens swooped in towards Ducar and Spyro for an attack, but they both split apart from each other, making the Unversed miss and fly in-between them. Ducar rammed into one Archraven on his left using his Keyblade Glider, then he rams into a Dreadwings on his right. An Archraven tried to attack Spyro with it's talons, but the purple dragon darted over to the left and hits it with a fireball. Then, the purple dragon flies toward an Archraven and takes it out with a corkscrew dive.

Ducar charges at two Dreadwings and hits it with a skid charge, ramming his Keyblade Glider into them. The Dreadwings were sent flying into a sea stack and they crash into it before falling into the ocean. Spyro hits two Archravens with two fireballs, taking them both out with one hit each.

As they were getting closer to Dante's Freezer, the icebergs became visible and the weather turned to snow.

The trio saw some ape ships down on the ocean which fired some apes straight at them. Ducar and Spyro quickly flew out of the way to dodge the flying apes. Ducar fired some blue lasers from the sides of his Keyblade Glider, hitting one of the ships down below with multiple lasers. The lasers blast through the hull of the ship causing it to sink into the ocean and the apes along with it. Spyro shoots four fireballs from his mouth down at another ship, blasting some of the apes off their vessel. The ship was blasted to bits and engulfed in flames. And soon enough, it sinks into the ocean with the apes jumping off.

Soon, they manage to escape the Unversed and Cynder's forces and they reached their destination: Dante's Freezer.

( _Dante's Freezer_ )

As they approached Dante's Freezer, Ducar and Spyro remember what Ignitus told them about it.

 _"Dante's Freezer is a desolate arctic expanse that's littered with the machinery of war. Soldiers and weapons frozen forever in the posture of destruction. You both must find Volteer before he is lost forever."_

"How do I land? Coming in too fast!" Spyro says panicking

"This doesn't look good." Sparx says

"Incoming!" Spyro says

Spyro lands with his head in the snow. Ducar hovers low above the ground and jumps off his Keyblade Glider. As he does, his Keyblade Glider disappears in a flash of light. Ducar lands on the ground with his right-hand on the ground to catch himself. He stands straight up and his Keyblade Armor magically disappears in a flash of light. Spyro pulls his head out of the snow and stands alongside Ducar.

"Nice landing, ace." Sparx says

"Yeah. Maybe this flying thing ain't for me." Spyro says

"Well, it sure doesn't help that you're carrying all that weight. You know, throw a salad in every once in a while. You might be okay." Sparx says

Spyro looks at Sparx with a deadpan look on his face.

"Don't worry about it, Spyro. You'll get used to flying." Ducar says

"Thanks, Ducar. But just for now, I think I'll stick to the ground for a while." Spyro says

"Good idea." Sparx says

Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx looked around their surroundings and they found themselves standing infront of a fortress made of stone. Spikes and barbed wires were placed at the top of the walls. Catapults, cannnons, and other weapons of war were placed throughout the fortress.

"Not exactly a friendly place, huh?" Spyro says

"No it is not." Ducar says

"Wonder where we should start." Spyro says

"Well, I'm no hero like you and Ducar, but maybe we should take that clearly marked path that leads to the interior." Sparx says

"We'd best start looking for Volteer. Let's go." Ducar says

With that said, Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx headed into Dante's Freezer in search of Volteer. As they headed through the fortress, they saw two frozen statues each holding a sword and shield. Sparx passed by one of them and swore he saw one of them blink at him.

"Is it weird that blinked at me?" Sparx says

Suddenly, the frozen statues came to life. It turns out that the statues were actually undead armored trolls in black and red armor.

"Ice cubes alive!" Sparx exclaims

One of the trolls swinged it's sword at Ducar, but he quickly blocks the blade summoning his Keyblade into his right-hand. Ducar swings the troll's sword aside and cuts right through it with a horizontal slash. The other troll warrior swings it's sword down at Spyro, but the purple dragon jumps back and dodges the sword strike. Spyro counters the attack by ramming his horns into the troll's stomach, knocking both it's sword and shield out of it's grip and making it stagger back. He then unleashes a stream of fire from his mouth, engulfing the troll in flames.

The two trolls were defeated and Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx moved deeper into the fortress. They came across three more trolls and a lightning tower. The tower shot a bolt of electricity which headed straight toward Spyro.

"Spyro! Watch out!" Ducar warns

Spyro was zapped by the bolt of electricity and was left stunned. The trolls began to close in on the trio.

"Spyro, are you ok?" Sparx asks concerned

Spyro shakes off the electricity and zaps the trolls with some electricity of his own. The three trolls were electrocuted and they fall into the snow defeated.

"Whoo. I guess so." Sparx says

The trio headed further into the fortress until a large shadow flew over them. They looked up at the sky, but didn't see anything.

"You think that was Cynder?" Sparx asks

"I sure hope so." Spyro says

"What?" Sparx says slightly shocked

"Well, if it wasn't, it means there's more than one giant evil dragon around here." Spyro says

"Oh yeah, I hope that was Cynder too." Sparx says

"C'mon. Let's keep moving." Ducar says

Spyro and Sparx nodded and they went on ahead of Ducar. He was about to go with them, but he turned and looked up at the sky one more time. In the sky, he could see a large dragon flying overhead, but he couldn't tell if it was Cynder or not. Focusing on the task at hand, Ducar went on to catch up with Spyro and Sparx. The trio soon came upon a large door which was shut tight.

"This way is sealed shut. Looks like we won't be going this way." Ducar says

"Why don't we try going in this way?" Spyro asks

Looking to their left, they see a passageway which led further into the ice caves inside.

"Good thinking, Spyro. Volteer is probably somewhere inside." Ducar says

They headed inside the cave and found Volteer lying unconscious on a large ice platform across from them.

"Hey, that's him. We did it. Bye." Sparx says

"Hmm, I don't like this. It's too quiet...too easy." Spyro says

"I agree. Something's off. We'd best be cautious. There's no telling what will happen." Ducar says

"Wha... What part was easy? After being chased by Unversed, mad men, and gorillas, what could possibly happen?" Sparx says flying over to the other side of the cave

Unaware of Sparx, behind him was The Ice King who was a large, humanoid ghoul covered in red metal armor.

"Uh, Sparx..." Spyro says

"Is that what I think it is?" Sparx asks

Sparx turned around and was shocked by what he saw. He saw the Ice King looking at him. Sparx quickly flew back to Ducar and Spyro screaming.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" Sparx screams

The Ice King rose from his throne and jumped down landing infront of the trio. A large ice sword and an ice shield materialized in the Ice King's hands. Ducar summoned his Keyblade: Vanguard of Honor into his hands and got into battle stance. Spyro reared back and got into battle stance alongside Ducar. Both were ready to face their first powerful foe.

The Ice King struck first by swinging his ice sword down at Ducar and Spyro, but they both jumped out of the way, dodging the attack. Then, the Ice King raised his ice sword into the air, then swung it down, sending dozens of ice shards at the two heroes. Ducar stood infront of Spyro and he quickly deflected the ice shards with his Keyblade.

Now it was the heroes turn to strike. Spyro uses his Fire Breath, shooting several fireballs at the Ice King, all of which hit with direct impact. Then, the purple dragon uses his new Electric Breath, zapping the Ice King with lightning bolts which came out from his mouth.

The Ice King retaliates by cleaving his ice sword down on Spyro. Ducar jumps in and blocks the attack with his Keyblade with only one hand. Spyro could not believe how strong Ducar was. The Ice King was twice his size yet Ducar was able to block his ice sword with no problem. After blocking the ice sword of the Ice King, Ducar shoves the Ice King back, then performs a powerful spinning attack, landing a hit at the Ice King's chest.

The Ice King let out a yell of anger and he charged at Ducar with his ice sword raised. The Ice King soon brought his ice sword down to strike Ducar, but he leapt over to the left and rolled across the ground, dodging the attack. The Ice King attempts to strike Ducar again by swinging his ice sword with a horizontal swipe, but Ducar jumps back and counter-attacks with a right swing of his Keyblade, launching at least ten fireballs at the Ice King. Each of the fireballs hit the Ice King with direct impact. Ducar made his way back over to Spyro and two stood close to each other as the Ice King approached them.

Again, the Ice King swings his ice sword down on the two heroes, but just like before, they jump out of the way, dodging the attack. The only thing the Ice King succeeded in was getting his ice sword stuck on the icy ground. This gave Spyro the opportunity to attack. Spyro charges at the Ice King and rams into his stomach, hitting him with his horns. The Ice King was knocked back by Spyro's attack and was separated from his ice sword which was shattered into pieces in the process. Ducar leapt up over Spyro and forward at the Ice King with his Keyblade held over his right-shoulder to strike. The Ice King held up his ice shield to defend himself, but Ducar brought his Keyblade down on the shield with a strong blow. The blow was so strong that it shattered the Ice King's shield to pieces. The attack even broke off some of the Ice King's armor on his arms, revealing that there was white bones underneath them. This revealed that the Ice King was a skeleton warrior.

The Ice King rose back up on his feet and let loose a breath of frost upon his right-hand, creating a long ice spear with a curved crescent blade at the tip. The Ice King swings his ice spear at Ducar and Spyro, but they jump back to avoid being sliced. Then, the Ice King drives his ice spear into the ground causing spikes of ice to emerge from the ground toward the two heroes. Ducar and Spyro both jump out of the way of the spikes to avoid getting pierced by them.

Spyro charges at the Ice King and he rams his horns into his chest. Then, the purple dragon uses his Fire Breath, unleashing a stream of fire upon the large ghoul. The Ice King lunges his ice spear at Spyro, but he jumps over to the right, making the Ice King miss.

Ducar rushed over to Spyro's aid and he throws his Keyblade at the Ice King with a right-diagonal toss. The Keyblade lands a hit at the Ice King's helmet, making him turn his attention to Ducar. After hitting the Ice King, the Keyblade returns to Ducar's hand in a flash of light. The Ice King lunges his ice spear at Ducar, but he knocks it away with a left swing of his Keyblade. Then, the Ice King tries to swing his ice spear down on Ducar, but he knocks it away again, this time with a right swing. Ducar slides underneath the Ice King's legs and jumps up to deliver a spinning strike at his back, bringing his Keyblade down on him with powerful force. The Ice King was sent forward after receiving the attack. The large ghoul turns around to face the heroes, but instead saw Ducar leaping toward him with his Keyblade raised over his right-shoulder. The Ice King held up his ice spear to defend himself, but Ducar brought his Keyblade down on him, striking the large ghoul with a strong blow. The attack was so strong that it made cracks appear on the ice spear. It even broke off the armor that covered the Ice King's left-leg and the right-horn on his helmet.

The Ice King fell down on his left-side after receiving the powerful blow from Ducar. The large ghoul leaned on his ice spear to try and get back up, but it could no longer withstand his weight after being struck by Ducar's Keyblade and it shattered into pieces. The Ice King rose back up on his own two feet and breathed his icy breath on his right-hand again, making another ice sword materialize in his hand. Ducar and Spyro prepared themselves to fight the Ice King again, but they saw that he was beginning to weaken and falter which meant that the end of the fight was drawing near.

The Ice King raised his left-hand and brought it down to try and slam his fist down on the two heroes, but they both jumped back, dodging the attack. Then, the Ice King raised his ice sword into the air and swung it down, sending more ice shards down upon the two heroes. Again, Ducar stands infront of Spyro and deflects the ice shards with his Keyblade.

The Ice King began approaching Ducar to attack him since he's been the one bringing down the hammer on him. Instead facing the Ice King, Ducar smiled and he ducked down as Spyro leaped over him. Spyro used his Electric Breath, launching volts of electricity at the Ice King. The volts hit the Ice King with direct impact, electrocuting him extensively. The large ghoul swings his ice sword at Spyro with a swipe, but the purple dragon ducks down and counters with his Electric Breath, zapping the Ice King with lightning bolts. The Ice King tried to bring his fist down on Spyro, but he jumps back and dodges the attack.

It was now Ducar's turn to strike. But what he does next surprises both Spyro and Sparx. Ducar began to glow with a bright green aura and his body along with his Keyblade began to spark with electricity. With all the power and swiftness of electricity surging through his body, Ducar rushes toward the Ice King and hits him with a barrage of powerful electric strikes coming from his Keyblade. Ducar strikes the Ice King with four left-and-right slashes, a spinning slash, and a right-diagonal slash, each strike generating dozens of lightning bolts that electrocuted the Ice King. He then follows up with two spinning slashes, a downward slash followed by a strong uppercut, and finishes with a reverse roundhouse slash. Finally, to finish his assault, Ducar takes his Keyblade which was now constantly sparking with electricity and holds it infront of him. Then, his eyes began sparking with electricity. Within moments, Ducar points his Keyblade at the Ice King and he unleashes a powerful storm of lightning bolts upon the Ice King, thus finishing the fight once and for all.

The Ice King was completely overwhelmed by the attack. The large ghoul falls onto his knees, then collapses onto the icy ground defeated.

Volteer, the Electric Guardian regained consciousness and approached Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx.

"It borders on the miraculous, incredible, stupendous. A dragon your size defeating that... that... thing. Thank you... ah... ah... ah..." Volteer says speaking very fast

"Spyro. And this is my friend, Ducar."

"A purple dragon named Spyro. Amazing. Of course, there were unsubstained rumors of a purple dragon countless generations ago, but most considered it heresay, gossip, legend. It's hard to believe, difficult to fathom, amazing to comprehend." Volteer says

Volteer looks over at Ducar.

"And your friend, Ducar, must be a Keyblade Wielder no doubt. The ancestors spoke very highly of your kind. I must say, the weapon they use, the Keyblade, truly fascinates me. It's so mysterious, so powerful, so ancient, so amazing, truly incredible. It's power is legendary." Volteer says continuing to speak in fast language

"No wonder they gagged this guy." Sparx says

"So much time has passed, so much things have been learned, and now here they are. The purple dragon and a Keyblade Wielder standing before me." Volteer says

"Excuse me, Mr. Volt?" Sparx says

"Yes? What? What is it?" Volteer asks

"Shouldn't we get going?" Sparx asks

"Oh of course...but where to?" Volteer asks

"Back to the Dragon Temple." Spyro says

"Your friend, Ignitus is waiting for you." Ducar says

"Ignitus. Of course. Much to tell him, many hypothesis to pose." Volteer says

Having rescued Volteer, Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx headed back to the Dragon Temple to continue with the next step of their journey.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Ducar and Spyro begin their journey searching for Volteer at Dante's Freezer. They quickly head through the fortress and eventually they find Volteer as well as the Ice King. They fight the Ice King in an epic battle, but in the end, Ducar and Spyro defeat the Ice King and save Volteer. That's one guardian down and only two more to go. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	5. Cyril, Guardian of Ice

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Dragon Temple_ )

After saving Volteer from Dante's Freezer, Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx returned to the Dragon Temple with Volteer where Ignitus awaited them.

"Yes, yes, Volteer, it's good to see you as well, but we don't have time to waste on sentiment. Back to Cynder... she was doing what to you?" Ignitus says

"Cynder's a chick?" Sparx asks

"It's hard to be absolutely sure, Ignitus, but it seems she was using me as some sort of suspended, organic power source." Volteer explains

"Huh?" Sparx asks

"She was using him as a battery." Spyro says

"Why didn't he just say so?" Sparx asks

"Not only that, she also left with a glowing yellow orb and I believe that I somehow powered it. Does that mean anything to you, Ignitus?" Volteer says

"Perhaps... perhaps. What I do know is that we need to rescue the other guardians before Cynder can power any more of those orbs." Ignitus says

"I agree, Ignitus. But if I may recall, Cynder wasn't alone. She was with a dark figure. One I believe is an off-worlder like our friend, Ducar here. This dark figure from what I could surmise was very powerful. Probably more powerful than Cynder herself. It was almost as if this dark figure served as Cynder's master." Volteer says

"This dark figure. He wouldn't happen to have been an old, bald man named Xehanort, would he?" Ducar asks

"No. I don't believe so. I don't recall hearing such a name in the Dragon Realms before." Volteer says

"Is this Xehanort an off-worlder like you, Ducar?" Ignitus asks

"Yes. He is. He is a Keyblade Master. The one who I am searching for. And as far as what Volteer explained, he's probably not here." Ducar says

"If I may interject, I'd like to impart some useful knowledge to Spyro, vis-à-vis his recently acquired electricity-based exhalation device." Volteer says

"What?" Sparx asks

"He says he'd like to teach me some things about that Electricity Breath." Spyro says

"Oi! Why doesn't he just say so?" Sparx asks

With that said, Volteer led Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx into the training chamber. Just like before, the dragon statue lowers down into the hole and the floor closes up.

"Electricity is the spark of life. Listen and I will teach you it's secrets." Volteer says

Spyro was up first for his training. Four small dojo dummies appeared in the chamber, standing infront of a target prop.

"Now, Spyro, I want you to try and knock the dummies into the targets using your Electricity Breath." Volteer says

Spyro uses his Electric Breath on each of the dummies, hitting them with lightning bolts and knocking them into the targets.

"You've grasped the concept. Excellent." Volteer says

A single medium dojo dummy appears infront of Spyro.

"For your next challenge, I'd like you to use your Electric Breath to trap the dummy in an electric cage." Volteer says

Spyro knocks the dummy into the air with his horns, then traps the dummy in an electric cage, keeping it suspended in the air. From there, Spyro jumps up and sends the dummy back down to the ground with a somersault.

"Well done, Spyro." Volteer says

Six dummies appeared around Spyro and they surrounded him.

"Now, for your last challenge, gather the electricity within you and unleash it upon the dummies." Volteer says

Spyro began to levitate in mid-air with his entire body sparking with electricity. Just as the dummies closed in on him, Spyro unleashes a large shockwave of electricity which vaporizes the dummies.

"Your training is complete... for now." Volteer says

Spyro walks back over to Volteer and Ducar. Then, the two dragons look at Ducar wanting to see if he could use the power of Electricity as well.

"Let's see if you can harness the power of Electricity, Ducar. I would very much like to see your abilities with that Keyblade of yours." Volteer says

Ducar nods in acknowledgment and he steps forward. Four medium dojo dummies appeared infront of Ducar who summoned his Keyblade in a flash of light in his right-hand. Ducar spins his Keyblade around his body, then draws it to his right-side, holding it with both hands.

The dummies made the first move and they charged at Ducar. Just like before, Ducar stood where he was and held his Keyblade infront of him with his eyes closed. Ducar's body began to emit a bright yellow aura and electricity started to spark on both his body and his Keyblade. Just as the dummies reach him, Ducar opened his eyes which was sparking with electricity. He crosses his arms, then thrusts them out, causing a surge of lightning bolts to arc from his body, vaporizing the dummies.

Ducar rushes toward one of the dummies with his body wrapped in electricity and swings his Keyblade, disintegrating the dummy on the spot. Next, he leaps at another dummy, performing a somersault and swings his Keyblade, launching five electric blasts at the dummy. Each of the electric blasts hit the dummy with direct impact and destroys it. Then, Ducar throws his Keyblade at the last dummy with a left-diagonal toss. The Keyblade flies toward the dummy with electricity enveloping it. Within moments, the dummy was struck by the Keyblade and was electrocuted before it disintegrated.

Six more dummies appear infront of Ducar and they attack. Ducar sweeps a dummy off it's feet with a low swing of his Keyblade, then finishes it with a downward strike. Next, he slices another dummy in half with a downward slash going down the center. Then, Ducar slices through another dummy with a roundhouse diagonal slash. One dummy attacks Ducar with a straight on charge, but he knocks it into the air with an uppercut. From there, Ducar leaps up at the dummy and smacks it down to the ground. The last two dummies charged at Ducar, but he takes them both out each with a swipe of his Keyblade. Left at the first one, then right at the second one.

A final group of eight medium dummies appeared infront of Ducar and they all charged at him. Ducar stood his ground and held his Keyblade infront of him as he prepared to unleash a final, devastating strike. A sparking orb of electricity appeared on the tip of Ducar's Keyblade and it started to grow in size. Soon, the orb was larger than Ducar himself and it was sparking crazy with electricity. When he was fully charged, Ducar leaps up into the air and plunges his Keyblade down into the ground, causing dozens of lightning bolts to arc out in all directions. All of the dummies were struck by the lightning bolts and they disintegrated. Spyro, Sparx, and Volteer shielded themselves from the electricity. They soon look ahead of them and saw Ducar standing before of them with his Keyblade hefted over his right-shoulder.

"Astounding! Incredible! Magnificent! Simply amazing! Well done, Ducar. The tales and stories of the great Keyblade Wielders were certaintly true." Volteer says

After their training, Ducar, Spyro, Sparx, and Volteer went back out into the main chamber to continue their meeting.

"Alright. So who's next?" Sparx asks

"Cyril, the Ice Guardian, was taken to Tall Plains. Ducar, you, Spyro and Sparx must go there at once and find him." Ignitus says

"Yes, Ignitus. It shall be done." Ducar says

"But if we see danger, we should run, right?" Sparx asks

"There are times when all of us need to stand up to danger, young Sparx." Ignitus says

"Ignitus has a point there, Sparx." Ducar says with a raised eyebrow

"Yeah, perhaps next month, next summer, perhaps next year..." Sparx says

"C'mon. We'd best be on our way." Ducar says

Having said that, Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx left the Dragon Temple and traveled to Tall Plains to rescue Cyril, the Ice Guardian.

( _Tall Plains_ )

Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx were now standing in Tall Plains, overlooking the area, taking in the sights around them. They also remember what Ignitus had told them about Tall Plains before they left.

 _"Tall Plains was once home to a proud ancient tribe called the Atlawa. The Atlawa were a people in tune with rhythms of the seasons, focused on their relationship to crops, their surroundings, their gods. They've all been driven underground by Cynder and her forces, who've taken over the tribe's shrine. I sense that's where Cynder and this dark figure is keeping Cyril, trying to power another crystal. You must find them before they succeed."_

Tall Plains was a large, lush, green jungle situated on a massive cliff. The landscape was quite beautiful with its rolling hills, small grassy cliffs, deep forest groves, and it's large lush rainforest.

"Right, nothing's ever easy, is it?" Sparx says

"Nothing worthwhile ever is." Spyro says

"So now you're spouting wisdom here, old boy?" Sparx asks

"Let us go. Cyril isn't going to rescue himself you know." Ducar says

With that said, Ducar went on ahead while Spyro and Sparx followed him.

"Ducar, I'm a bit concerned about this dark figure Volteer told us about. He said that he was more powerful than Cynder. From what I hear from Ignitus, Cynder is very powerful. So who could possibly be more powerful than her?" Spyro says

"I think I might have an idea of who Volteer was referring to. I don't know his name, but from what he told me, he is obviously an evil entity. A powerful being of pure darkness." Ducar says

Ducar remembered meeting Lord Thanatos for the first time back in The Land of Departure back in his room.

( _Flashback_ )

 _"How? How could the darkness lurk in my heart and yet I not know about it? It just doesn't make any sense."_

 **"IT IS SIMPLE. IT IS CAUSE DEEP WITHIN YOUR HEART, THERE IS FEAR. FEAR OF LOSING THOSE CLOSEST TO YOUR HEART. FEAR OF LOSING YOUR HEART TO THE DARKNESS. FEAR OF LOSING CONTROL. THE FEAR OF DEATH."**

 _"Who are you?!"_

 **"THAT NEED NOT CONCERN YOU, DUCAR. WHAT YOU SHOULD BE CONCERNED OF IS THE DARKNESS EATING AWAY AT YOUR HEART DEEP WITHIN YOU."**

 _"How do you know my name?!"_

 **"WE KNOW ALL THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS: TERRA, VENTUS, AQUA, YOUR BELOVED WIFE, SHARA EVEN YOUR PRECIOUS SON, DEVON, THE FUTURE KEYBLADE MASTER OF LIGHT. YES. WE'VE ALWAYS KNOWN WHO YOU WERE. THE DARKNESS INSIDE YOU REVEALED TO US YOUR IDENTITY. AND FROM WHAT I CAN TELL, YOU POSSESS A GREAT DARKNESS INSIDE YOU, DUCAR."**

 _"If you believe I would allow darkness to corrupt me, you are dead wrong!"_

 **"WE SHALL SEE, DUCAR. WE SHALL SEE."**

( _Present time_ )

"Sounds like one bad dude alright." Sparx says

"I will find out whoever this dark figure is, whatever he's planning, what his intentions are, and I will stop him." Ducar says

Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx head through the rainforest, beginning their mission to help save Cyril. They soon find two Atlawas trapped in wooden cages. A Dreadwing flies in and grabs one of the cages taking the Atlawa away. The Atlawa inside the remaining cage was guarded by a small group of four apes accompanied by two large ape-like Unversed known as Wild Bruisers. Ducar took on the two Wild Bruisers while Spyro took on the apes. Ducar summons his Keyblade: Vanguard of Honor in his right-hand and got into battle stance. Spyro reared back and got into battle stance standing alongside Ducar.

One of the Wild Bruiser charges toward Ducar who jumps over it, dodging it's attack. The Wild Bruiser turns around and tries to deliver a heavy right-hand punch to Ducar, but he leans his body back and counters with a left-slash from his Keyblade at it's head. Ducar then follows up with a reverse roundhouse kick, hitting the right-side of the Wild Bruiser's head. Again, the Wild Bruiser tries to hit Ducar with a heavy left-hand punch, but he leans his body back and counters with a right-slash at it's head. Then, the Wild Bruiser raises both it's arms up and slams them down. Ducar jumps back to avoid being hit by the Wild Bruiser's attack. He then charges at the Wild Bruiser and performs a backflip, sending his right-foot up onto the Wild Bruiser's head, knocking it upwards. Ducar raises his Keyblade over his head and brings it down on the Wild Bruiser with a downward slash, slicing the Unversed in half. Ducar lands crouched down on the ground while the Wild Bruiser disintegrates above him.

Spyro uses his Fire Breath on one of the apes, breathing a stream of fire which engulfs the ape on fire. The ape jumped around flailing it's arms and legs to try and put out the flames which engulfed it's body. Spyro charges at the ape and rams his horns into it, sending it flying off the cliff. Another ape charges at Spyro for an attack, but the purple dragon knocks it into the air with his head. He then jumps up and hits the ape with an uppercut, sending it higher into the air. The purple dragon then jumps up and sends the ape back down with a somersault. The ape crashes down onto the ground defeated. The last two apes try to attack Spyro at once, but he takes them both out with a spin attack.

After dealing with the apes, Spyro and Sparx watched as Ducar dealt with the second Wild Bruiser. The Unversed tried to smash Ducar with it's arms, but he held his Keyblade infront of him in defense, creating a barrier which encased him, shielding him from the Wild Bruiser's attack. The Wild Bruiser hits the barrier and it flinched. With it's guard down, the barrier that protected Ducar shatters, making the Wild Bruiser stagger backwards. From there, Ducar strikes down the Unversed with a left-diagonal slash.

With the Unversed and the apes defeated, Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx approach the wooden cage with the Atlawa still trapped inside.

"Step back." Ducar says

Ducar swings his Keyblade at the wooden cage cutting through the bars and releasing the Atlawa named Kane who was the leader of the Atlawas in Tall Plains.

"Watch what you're doing." Kane says

"We were just trying to help." Spyro says

"Well, the Atlawa and Kane need no help." Kane says

"Oh, just about to spring into action huh?" Spyro says

"What did they want with you anyway?" Ducar asks

"None of your business. Now move. I've got a tribe to save." Kane says

With that said, Kane heads into the rainforest.

"You're welcome!" Sparx says

Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx head deeper into the rainforest and they soon find Kane being confronted by two Stone Brutes near a waterfall above them. One of the Stone Brutes knocks Kane off the waterfall and sent him plummeting down into the small river down below.

"Kane!" Spyro cries out

Kane lands in the water and surfaces on his back. He quickly regained consciousness and found himself drifting toward the end of another waterfall. One that was high up on a cliff.

"Yeah, I know the guy's an ingrate, but you gotta do something, and fast." Sparx says

With that said, Spyro breathes a stream of ice on the water. The waterfall freezes and stops Kane from nearly falling off the waterfall.

"Buddy, you are getting weirder and weirder by the second." Sparx says

Spyro nods in agreement.

"You again? Why don't you get outta here and leave me in peace. I'm the boss around here, nobody else." Kane says

"Boss of what?" Sparx says

"You all alone?" Spyro says

"Only until I kick all these bums out. Which reminds me, I can't stand here chatting with purple dragons, mosquitoes, and swordsmen." Kane says

"Hey, whoa, whoa. Who are you calling a mosquito?" Sparx says

"Besides it's not safe for you here." Kane says

"Oh. Concerned for our welfare, are we?" Sparx asks

"No need. We can take care of ourselves. We need to get to the shrine. Our friend, Cyril is there and he needs our help." Ducar says

"You'll never make it." Kane says

Having said that, Kane heads deeper into the rainforest. Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx catch up with Kane who was standing near a wooden bridge.

"The Shrine God has not been appeased since Cynder's forces came. He is not happy." Kane says

"Isn't anybody fun around here?" Sparx says

"You can't possibly face the God of the Shrine alone." Kane says

"Not all of us are loners, Kane. Spyro and I, we stand together. As a team." Ducar says

Suddenly, eight Flood and a large Bruiser appeared behind Kane, making him turn around. Kane stood ready to fight the Unversed, but Ducar and Spyro moved infront of him.

"Maybe someday you'll learn that two heads are better than one. Even if they are pinheads." Spyro says

"Yeah... What?!" Sparx says

Spyro looked at Sparx with a smirk on his face, then focused back at the battle at hand.

The Bruiser attacked first by charging at Ducar and Spyro with it's belly glowing with a dark blue light. The two heroes jumped to the sides to avoid being hit by the large Unversed. Ducar and Spyro both slid to a stop away from each other and were both confronted by the Unversed. Ducar faced off with the Bruiser and four Flood while Spyro dealt with the other four Unversed.

One of the Flood leapt at Spyro intending to swipe it's claws at him, but the purple dragon used his new Ice Breath and froze the Unversed in place with a stream of ice. With the Unversed frozen, Spyro hits it with a spin attack, shattering the Unversed into pieces. Another Flood sinks into the ground, re-appears behind Spyro, and tries to attack him with it's claws. Spyro looks back and saw the Unversed attacking him. He quickly jumps back and hits it his Fire Breath, shooting a fireball from his mouth. The fireball hits the Flood and takes it out. The other two Flood both try to attack Spyro at the same time, but the purple dragon knocks them aside with a spin attack, taking them both out with one hit.

Ducar swings his Keyblade down at a Flood infront of him, then swings right at another Flood that tried to attack him from the side. The third Flood leaps at Ducar with it's claws ready, but he hits the Unversed with an uppercut, then swings his Keyblade with a downward slash, making short work of the Flood. Ducar takes his Keyblade and tosses it with a right toss, sending it flying at the last Flood. Within moments, the Keyblade hits the Unversed, slicing it in half from across it's body.

With the Flood defeated, all that was left was the Bruiser. The large Unversed jumps at Ducar intending to crush him, but he jumps over to the right, dodging the attack. The Bruiser then throws two left-and-right punches at Ducar, but he leans his body back, dodging both punches. Afterwards, Ducar kicks the Bruiser in the stomach with his right-foot, making it stagger back, then delivers a roundhouse slash, knocking it back even further. With it's guard left open, Ducar draws his Keyblade back to his right-side, then strikes the Unversed with a single, lightning fast strike that destroys the Bruiser right on the spot.

After dealing with the Unversed, Ducar and Spyro turn to look at Kane who walks up to them.

"I have to admit, you've done better than I thought possible." Kane says

"Saying that had to hurt." Sparx says

"More than you can imagine. There are some things you should know about the Shrine before you can enter." Kane says

Before Kane could continue, Ducar, Spyro, Sparx, and Kane saw Cynder up ahead at the shrine. On her back was Lord Thanatos wearing a black hooded coat. The two villains took off into the air and disappeared from sight.

"And I think we're done here." Sparx says

"Not before we rescue Cyril." Ducar says

"The Atlawa Shrine has been desecrated and the God of the Shrine has not been given tribute since Cynder's forces arrived. But if you can subdue his anger, the balance will be returned and my people can return home." Kane says

"That's fine. But we came here to free Cyril." Spyro says

"You must go through the Shrine God to free him." Kane says

"Knew you were going to say that." Sparx says

Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx crossed the wooden bridge and reached the Shrine. In the back of the Shrine was Cyril lying unconscious. The Shrine was littered with rocks and stones of different sizes.

"Be careful. Remember last time." Spyro says

"I know, I know, but Cynder and that other guy left and I don't see any Ice Kings hanging around this place." Sparx says

Suddenly, the rocks and stones started to come together forming a large Golem. It's name was The Stone Sentinel. Ducar summoned his Keyblade into his right-hand and got into battle stance, holding his Keyblade to his right-side with both hands. Spyro reared back and got into battle stance alongside Ducar. Both were ready to face their powerful foe.

"When will I learn? When things look good, run for the hills." Sparx says

The Stone Sentinel struck first by throwing a punch at Ducar and Spyro, but they both jump away to the right, dodging the large fist. Then, the Stone Sentinel kicks it's left-foot at the two heroes. Again, they both dodge the attack, jumping over to the left. Fortunately for Ducar and Spyro, the Stone Sentinel was strong, but it was also slow, giving them many opportunities to attack.

Spyro hits the Stone Sentinel with his Fire Breath, launching multiple fireballs at the stone giant. The Stone Sentinel retaliates by throwing a punch at Spyro, but he jumps back away from the fist just as it hits the ground infront of him. Spyro uses his Ice Breath and breathes a stream of ice upon the Stone Sentinel's fist, keeping it in place on the ground. The Stone Sentinel tried to free it's hand from the ice, but to no avail.

This gave Ducar his chance to attack. Ducar charges at the Stone Sentinel and strikes it's head with several quick slashes from his Keyblade. First, he strikes with four left and right slashes. He soon follows up with an uppercut, a downward slash, and another uppercut. Then, Ducar attacks with a spinning slash that hits the Stone Sentinel at least four times.

Eventually, the Stone Sentinel frees it's hand from the ground and the ice that had trapped it. It didn't take long for the Stone Sentinel to target Ducar and attack him. The stone giant kicks it's right-foot at Ducar, but he jumps over to the right and rolls to a stop. Then, the stone giant throws a right-punch at Ducar, but he jumps back with a backflip, dodging the attack.

Spyro moves in and lends Ducar his support. The purple dragon uses his Fire Breath and launches more fireballs at the Stone Sentinel. The stone giant smashes his left-fist down on Spyro, but he jumps back, dodging the attack. Spyro jumps up to the stone giant's head and hits it with a somersault, a backflip, and a spin attack. The Stone Sentinel tries to swat Spyro away with it's right-arm, but the purple dragon flies down to the ground, making the stone giant miss.

It was now Ducar's turn to strike. Again, Ducar surprises Spyro and Sparx with another one of his tricks. Ducar began to glow with an icy blue aura with particles of ice emanating from both his body and his Keyblade. With all the power of ice flowing through his body, Ducar charges toward the Stone Sentinel and hits him with a barrage of powerful ice strikes. Ducar attacks the stone giant with a series of charging attacks, zipping back and forth with fast speed, striking it with his Keyblade at least ten times. He then dives down on the stone giant three times, causing pillars of ice to erupt from beneath the Stone Sentinel. Then, Ducar raises his Keyblade over his right-shoulder and whirls forward, striking the Stone Sentinel's chest with a powerful jumping attack. The attack left a large chunk of ice on the Stone Sentinel's chest which exploded, making the stone giant stagger back.

Soon enough, the Stone Sentinel falls forward onto the ground and was defeated. The fight was finished.

( _Moments later_ )

Cyril, the Ice Guardian regained consciousness and bowed before Ducar, Spyro, Sparx along with the Atlawas. Ducar stood before Cyril and the Atlawas while Spyro stood up on a rock behind him with Sparx.

"You have subdued the God of the Shrine, restored balance to seasons, the land, our world. The Atlawas want to worship you now." Kane says

"Worship? Okay, now that's what I'm talking about. I've never gotten the respect I deserve... the praise that should be mine." Sparx says

"We are truly honored, Kane, but we have to return to the Dragon Temple with Cyril. Ignitus is waiting for us there." Ducar says

"Yeah. We also have to figure out how to stop Cynder for good. And find out who she's working with." Spyro says

While Ducar and Spyro were busy talking, Sparx was trying to appear mighty to the Atlawas.

"My dear Atlawas, I am the mighty Sparx, scourge of despots..." Sparx says

Before Sparx could move on with his boasting, Cyril spoke.

"Yes, yes, old boy. We'd like nothing more than to stay and be a part of your primitive, barbaric society, but duty calls, duty calls..." Cyril says

"If you must, you must. But know that you're now part of the Atlawa tribe. You are now one of us." Kane says

Sparx tried to continue his boasting, but he soon gave up.

"I am the might Spar... whatever." Sparx says

Spyro jumps down off the rock and walks up to Ducar's side.

"By the way, you were right." Kane says

"About what?" Spyro asks

"Maybe two heads are better than one. Even if one of them belongs to an annoying mosquito." Kane says

"Mosquito? Me? Is that... oh." Sparx says

Having now rescued Cyril, Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx began making their trip back to the Dragon Temple to continue with the next step of their journey.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx saved Volteer. Now up next was Cyril, the Ice Guardian. The heroic trio search for Cyril in Tall Plains, home of the Atlawas and meet an Atlawa named Kane who denied their help at first, but later on accepts their aid. During their journey through Tall Plains, Spyro discovers his Ice Breath. Then, Ducar and Spyro face off against the Stone Sentinel, the God of Tall Plains. In the end, they defeat the Stone Sentinel and free Cyril. Now, Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx are worshiped by the Atlawas and are now part of their tribe. Two Guardians down and that leaves only one left. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	6. Terrador, Guardian of Earth

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Dragon Temple_ )

After saving Cyril from Tall Plains, Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx returned to the Dragon Temple with Cyril where Ignitus and Volteer awaited them.

"Yes, yes, Volteer, I see that months of tortured captivity has done nothing to slow that electric tongue of yours from incessantly wagging." Cyril says

"It's just that it's all so exciting, exhilarating, enchanting, enthralling." Volteer says

"Alright. No more thesaurus for you, pal." Sparx says

"All of you please be quiet. It is certainly encouraging that Ducar and Spyro has been able to free two of you to allow this reunion, but haven't we forgotten someone?" Ignitus says

"Yes, yes, of course. Terrador." Cyril says

"Precisely. Now how do we proceed?" Ignitus asks

"Perhaps I can help, Ignitus." Cyril says

Cyril looks over at Ducar and Spyro.

"Well, young chaps, since you learned a few things about Ice in Tall Plains, I suggest we adjourn to the Training Room so that I can teach you some more. The legacy of the great Ice dragons of yore...my ancestors who come from the best of the best of this somewhat bedraggled lineage is long and storied. With my help, rescuing Terrador should be a certainty." Cyril says

"Your pomposity, arrogance, and pretentiousness is odious to the extreme." Volteer says

"Shall we?" Cyril says

"Let's." Ducar says

With that said, Cyril led Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx into the training chamber. Just like before, the dragon statue lowers down into the hole and the floor closes up.

"Certaintly Fire and Electricity are nice elements, but now, my friends, you will learn the secrets of Ice. A power worthy of the elite." Cyril says

Spyro was up first for his training as a medium dojo dummy appeared infront of him.

"For your first challenge, I want you to freeze this dummy in ice with your Ice Breath, then hit it with some attacks." Cyril says

The dummy charged at Spyro, but using his Ice breath, he froze the dummy dead in it's tracks, making it stop only inches away from him. Once the dummy was completely frozen solid, Spyro rams his head into it, attacking with his horns. He then hits the dummy with a spin attack that shatters it into pieces.

"Beginner's luck I guess." Cyril says

Four small dojo dummies appeared infront of Spyro as his next challenge began.

"Next, I want you to shoot some ice shards on these dummies. Be sure you hit each and every one of them." Cyril says

The dummies charged at Spyro, but he shoots each of them down with several ice shards launched from his mouth. One dummy tried to hit Spyro with it's club, but was quickly brought down as it was punctured by several ice shards. Two dummies tried to attack Spyro at once, but the purple dragon shot them both down with some ice shards, puncturing both dummies in multiple places. Spyro then finishes off the last remaining dummy with more ice shards fired from his mouth, covering every inch of the dummy with ice shards. The dummy falls backwards and disappears in a flash of light.

"Yes, yes, that's it." Cyril says

Six medium dojo dummies appeared around Spyro and surrounded him.

"Now for your final trial, muster up the sheer coldness of Ice within you, and unleash it's awesome power upon these dummies." Cyril says

Spyro began to levitate in mid-air with his entire body swirling with ice. Snow began to appear beneath him. Just as the dummies closed in on him, they were frozen dead in their tracks. Spyro soon unleashes a large shockwave of ice which shatters the dummies to pieces.

"Well, you have mastered the element of Ice, something few can boast." Cyril says

Spyro walks back over to Volteer and Ducar. Then, the two dragons look at Ducar wanting to see if he could use the power of Ice as well.

"Perhaps Ducar would like to give us a demonstration of his exotic power. It would truly be amazing to see him utilize the power of Ice with his Keyblade." Cyril says

Ducar nods in acknowledgment and he steps forward. Four medium dojo dummies appeared infront of Ducar who summoned his Keyblade in a flash of light in his right-hand. Ducar spins his Keyblade around his body, then draws it to his right-side, holding it with both hands.

The dummies made the first move and they charged at Ducar. Just like before, Ducar stood where he was and held his Keyblade infront of him with his eyes closed. Ducar's body began to emit an icy blue aura and particles of ice emanated from both his body and his Keyblade. Just as the dummies reach him, Ducar opened his eyes which briefly flashed with an icy blue light. He crosses his arms, then thrusts them out, causing a snowstorm to burst out from his body, freezing the dummies in ice and shattering them to pieces in the process.

Ducar rushes toward one of the dummies with his body wrapped in light blue ice crystals which was 'X' shaped, and swings his Keyblade, freezing the dummy on contact and shatters it to pieces right on the spot. Next, he leaps up into the air, performing a somersault and swings his Keyblade, launching five ice shards at another dummy. Each of the ice shards pierce through the dummy with direct impact and destroys it. Then, Ducar throws his Keyblade at the last dummy with a left-diagonal toss. The Keyblade flies toward the dummy with ice particles enveloping it. Within moments, the dummy was struck by the Keyblade and was frozen solid before it exploded and shattered to pieces.

Six more medium dummies appear infront of Ducar and they attack. Ducar cuts through a dummy right across it's stomach, then he turns his Keyblade over, holding it in a reverse grip, and thrusts it back at the dummy, driving his Keyblade through it's stomach. Ducar pulls his Keyblade out and the dummy disappears in a flash of light. Next, he knocks another dummy into the air with a high jump kick, then he leaps up at the dummy and smacks it back down with a downward slash. Another dummy charged at Ducar with it's club raised, but he kicks it back with his right-leg, making the dummy stagger back. From there, Ducar delivers a reverse roundhouse slash at the dummy's chest, taking it out with one hit. Then, Ducar slices through another dummy with a roundhouse diagonal slash. The last two dummies charged at Ducar, but he holds his Keyblade infront of him, causing a freezing cold wind which freezes the two dummies in ice. With the dummies frozen, Ducar swings his Keyblade with a spinning slash, taking out both dummies with a single strike.

A final group of eight medium dummies appeared around Ducar and they all surrounded him. Ducar stood his ground and held his Keyblade infront of him as he prepared to unleash a final, devastating attack. Ducar held his Keyblade infront of him with both hands. He then closes his eyes as he concentrates on drawing from the power of Ice. A large glacier slowly rose up from beneath Ducar's feet as he started to levitate in mid-air. A veil of frosty wind swirled around Ducar as he conjured up the attack. When he was fully charged, Ducar opens his eyes which briefly emitted a light blue aura, crosses his arms, then thrusts his body out, unleashing a shockwave of strong icy wind to explode from Ducar's body and spread throughout the whole chamber. All of the dummies were frozen solid and they shattered into pieces. Spyro, Sparx, and Cyril shielded themselves from the icy wind. When the wind faded down, they looked ahead of them and saw Ducar standing before of them with his Keyblade pointed downward while his hands rested on the Keyblade's guard.

"I know I've said this already, but I can't help it. Ducar is just so awesome!" Sparx says

"Indeed. I've never expected anyone to be able to harness such power over the element of Ice like that. But I guess that is just one of the amazing feats of being a Keyblade Wielder. I am most impressed by your talent, Ducar. Well done, old boy." Cyril says

"I aim to please." Ducar says with a grin

The grin on Ducar's face slowly faded away as he looked down slightly and thought to himself.

 _"If only the same could be said for Master Eraqus."_ Ducar thought to himself

( _Moments later_ )

After their training, Ducar, Spyro, Sparx, and Cyril returned to the main chamber to continue their meeting.

"So what are you saying, Ignitus?" Cyril says

"Yes, your hypothesis is an intriguing one, but it is perplexing to the extreme." Volteer says

"Huh?" Sparx asks

"He says he doesn't know what he's talking about." Spyro says

"Dude, I never know what he's saying." Sparx says

"What I'm saying is that Cynder is harnessing the Guardians' power to unlock a portal that must never be opened." Ignitus says

"Why? What's behind this portal?" Spyro asks

"That doesn't concern you right now. What does concern you is getting to Munitions Forge and freeing Terrador before Cynder and this dark figure can create another crystal from his powers." Ignitus says

"And before the volcano blows it's-" Volteer says

"That's enough, Volteer, there's plenty of time. Now, Ducar, Spyro, go to Munitions Forge and rescue Terrador." Ignitus says

Ducar places his closed right-hand over his chest and bows before the three dragons.

"We will not fail you, Ignitus." Ducar says

With that said, Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx set out for Munitions Forge to save Terrador, the last remaining Guardian. As he was starting to take his leave, Ducar stopped for a second as he thought to himself again.

 _"And I will not fail you, Master Eraqus. I will return home stronger than ever. And I will prove that I am worthy of being a true Keyblade Master."_ Ducar thought to himself

After saying that in his mind, Ducar left the Dragon Temple with Spyro and Sparx as they headed out to save Terrador.

( _Munitions Forge_ )

Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx arrive at Munitions Forge and look around their surroundings. As they do, they remember their conversation with Ignitus about Munitions Forge just before they left.

 _"Munitions Forge is an island dominated by Boyzitbig, an unstable volcano that makes life very dicey. The locals, who live underground, have been forced to mine the metals that Cynder uses to forge her army's weapons."_ Ignitus says

 _"What are the locals called?"_ Ducar asks

 _"They're called Manweersmalls."_ Ignitus says

 _"Right. Do I need to write that down?"_ Sparx says

 _"Rumor has it that Cynder and the dark figure are holding Terrador somewhere in the mines. We know they're using him to power the last of the crystals they need to open the portal. Free him before they get the chance."_ Ignitus says

Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx arrive at Munitions Forge and were amazed by the size of the large volcano that stood before them.

"Boy is it big!" Sparx says

"Now's not the time for sightseeing." Ducar says

"Ducar's right. Time to get serious." Spyro says

"C'mon. Let's go." Ducar says

Having said that, Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx journeyed into Munitions Forge heading underground, and traversing through caves. They soon encounter a Manweersmall named Mole-Yair.

"Man... is he small." Spyro says

"What's that? Who's there?" Mole-Yair asks

"We're here to help. I'm Ducar."

"I'm Spyro."

"And the former god of Tall Plains, Sparx."

"You don't carry the stench of Cynder's beasts, so you must be friends." Mole-Yair says

"We are." Spyro says

"What's your name?" Ducar asks

"I am Mole-Yair, Leader of the Manweersmalls. But I'm not much of a leader anymore. Those of my people who aren't mining for Cynder are holed up in the caves, scared out of their little wits, waiting for Boyzitbig to blow."

The group suddenly felt a tremor shake the ground. Ducar and Spyro managed to maintain their balance through the tremor.

"Which shouldn't be long now. If you would help me free them, there's something I could do for you?" Mole-Yair says

"I don't know. We're here to rescue a big friend of ours." Spyro says

"He goes by the name of Terrador." Ducar says

"Is he a mighty dragon?" Mole-Yair asks

"Yes. Why?" Spyro asks

"Because I know where he's being kept, in the mines near a large labor camp where my own brother, Exhumor, toils away. We can help each other." Mole-Yair says

"Do you know which way should we go?" Ducar asks

"Yes. But we must hurry. Boyzitbig is getting more unstable by the minute. We must clear these caves before we can help your friend." Mole-Yair says

"And you're asking him for directions? Wow, talking about blind leading the blind." Sparx says

"Forget him, Mole-Yair. We're in." Spyro says

Ducar, Spyro, Sparx and Mole-Yair headed deep underground and soon came across an area filled with groups of Manweersmalls being held captive by the Unversed. These humanoid Unversed were called Scrappers.

"More Unversed." Ducar says

"I have never seen those kind of beasts before." Mole-Yair says

"Don't worry. We'll take care of them." Spyro says

Ducar summoned his Keyblade: Vanguard of Honor into his hands, drew it to his right-side, and charged into battle with Spyro. The small group of Scrappers quickly turned their attention toward Ducar and Spyro and attacked them.

One of the Scrappers leapt toward Ducar for an attack, but he strikes it down with a downward slash from his Keyblade, casting the Unversed into oblivion. Another Scrapper leapt at Ducar and he strikes it down with a reverse roundhouse slash. A third Scrapper charged at Ducar, but he takes it out with an uppercut while performing a backflip.

Spyro used his Fire Breath, unleashing a stream of fire upon two Scrappers. The Scrappers were engulfed in flames and it wasn't long before they disintegrated. Another Scrapper charged at Spyro with it's claws ready, but the purple dragon rams his horns into it's stomach, sending it crashing into a rock wall.

The rest of the Scrappers immediately set their sights on Ducar knowing he was clearly a more dangerous threat and they all went after him, completely ignoring Spyro and Sparx. With all the Unversed going after him, Ducar crosses his arms and began pulling the Unversed toward him using a magnetic force. Ducar began to glow with a bright blue light. Within moments, Ducar thrusts his body outward, destroying the Unversed with a powerful spherical telekinetic explosion that caused ripples in space, taking them all out at once. Spyro and Sparx were both completely amazed by what they had seen from Ducar.

All the Unversed were defeated and the Manweersmalls were freed.

"Ha ha! You did it, you did it! A thousand thanks!" Mole-Yair says

"It was nothing." Spyro asks

"No problem, pal." Sparx says

"You are most welcome, Mole-Yair. It was the least we could do. No one should be forced into cruel slavery." Ducar says

Well, you did you're part, now I'll do mine. You're friend is being kept in the center of the volcano, past the labor camp where my brother, Exhumor, is working. Find him and let him know we're friends, and he'll tell you how to proceed." Mole-Yair says

"How will we know Exhumor?" Spyro asks

"Yeah. All you Man-are-we-smalls all look the same to me." Sparx says

"You'll know him. Trust me. He's the most cantankerous hard-nosed Manweersmall around. Whatever you do, don't get on his bad side." Mole-Yair says

"Right. Thank you, Mole-Yair. Be careful." Ducar says

With that said, Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx headed deeper underground. After moving through work camps and caves, the trio came across a large bell that hung up above them.

"I bet you can't ring that bell." Sparx says

"Why would I want to?" Spyro asks

"Oh, you're scared." Sparx says

"I'm not scared." Spyro says

"Oh, the big special dragon is scared of the mean old bell. Oh, I didn't know. I'm sorry, oh no, I'm sorry baby, why don't I get your pillow all laid out." Sparx teases

Having heard enough of Sparx' teasing, Spyro walked up to the bell and rang it with his head. The bell broke off from the ceiling and it fell down on Spyro and Ducar, trapping them both inside.

"Spyro! Ducar! Can you hear me? Are you okay, buddy? Hey listen, forget about those cracks I made about your fatness and your being purple and stupid and fat, alright? Just get outta there! Please, don't be dead!" Sparx says feeling sorry

Suddenly, the bell began to crack and a green light shined from within. Within moments, the bell shattered into pieces as Spyro blasted it with his new Earth Breath, firing green energy from his mouth.

"Did you say something?" Spyro asks

"Me? No, no, I was talking out loud, thinking of my day, I gotta do." Sparx says

"Oh, just thought I heard something before I blasted our way out." Spyro says

"Yeah, coulda sworn you said something." Ducar says

"Oh, that's funny. Yeah, no, must be hearing things.

Moving on, the trio find Exhumor, Mole-Yair's brother. Being startled, Exhumoor quickly turns around and was ready to strike Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx with a shovel.

"Wait, wait! We're on your side!" Spyro says

"More likely spies for that flying beast, Cynder! Or that dark figure she was with!" Exhumor says

"I assure you, Exhumoor. We are no spies. Your brother, Mole-Yair sent us." Ducar says

"My brother is alive?" Exhumor asks

"He's alive and well." Ducar says

"But I must say, he's the friendly one in the family." Sparx sas

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. In these dark times, one can't take chances. So, Mole-Yair is alive. Wonderful news. But why did he sent you here?" Exhumor says

"Your brother said that you might be able to tell us where our friend, Terrador is being held." Ducar says

"If he's a big dragon, I certaintly can. The majority of the Manweersmalls are kept here in this camp, forced to live above ground and mine for Cynder and there are rumors that your dragon friend is kept somewhere inside in the darkest pits of the volcano. All of us are doomed." Exhumor says

"Not if we have anything to say about it." Spyro says

"What do you mean?" Exhumor asks

"Yeah, what do you mean?" Sparx asks

"What Spyro means is that we'll free the Manweersmalls, venture into the darkest pits of Boyzitbig, find Terrador, and free him." Ducar says

"Then, it's off to karaoke!" Sparx says

The Manweersmalls in the large camp were enslaved by the Unversed as well as Apes. Ducar and Spyro jumped into action and proceeded to help free the Manweersmalls.

Ducar slices through a Scrapper with an uppercut, then he spins around and slices through another Scrapper with a downward slash. Ducar leaps high into the air and brings his Keyblade crashing down on three Scrappers, kicking up a cloud of dust and dirt. Ducar was down on one knee after landing the attack. Six other Scrappers stalked toward Ducar to try and attack him while his back was turned, but a barrage of meteors crashed down on them, sending them into oblivion.

Spyro used his Fire Breath and launched dozens of fireballs from his mouth, hitting three apes with multiple shots. One ape tried to hit Spyro with it's club, but the purple dragon leapt back and countered with a backflip that knocked the ape into the air. From there, Spyro jumped up and smashed the ape back down into the ground with his horns, performing a somersault. Another ape tried to bring it's club down on Spyro, but the purple dragon used his Ice Breath, breathing a stream of ice upon the ape, freezing it in it's tracks and stopping it's club only inches away from his face. Once the ape was completely frozen solid, Spyro rams his head into the ape, making it shatter to pieces.

With Ducar, an ape swung it's club down on Ducar, but he cartwheels over to the right and counters with a roundhouse kick to it's head. Ducar held his Keyblade up as an ape brought it's club down on him and blocked against the attack. The ape pushed down on Ducar, but he stood firm and pushed back against the ape. Ducar soon swings the ape's club away, catching it off guard. From there, Ducar delivers a right-kick at the ape's side, making it stagger back. Then, Ducar performs a backflip, hitting the ape right underneath it's chin. The ape falls backwards onto it's back and was defeated.

Back with Spyro, the purple dragon used his Electric Breath to zap two apes with bolts of electricity arcing out from his mouth. The two apes were both electrocuted and they fell back defeated. Next, Spyro used his new Earth Breath, firing green energy blasts from his mouth at two more apes, taking them both out with one hit each. Then, Spyro fired a leafy bomb which exploded into a large green tornado that sucked up several apes, twirled them around, and sent them high into the sky. The apes soon came back down to earth and crashed onto the ground.

Now, it was up to Ducar to finish up with his enemies. Once again, Ducar surprises Spyro and Sparx with another trick. Ducar began to glow with a bright brown aura with rock particles emanating from both his body and his Keyblade. With all the power of earth flowing through his body, Ducar charges toward his enemies and attacks with a barrage of powerful earth strikes. Ducar goes through four Scrappers each with one hit, swinging his Keyblade left, right, up, and down, spraying rock debris in the process. One ape charges at Ducar with it's club raised, but Ducar leaps forward and dispatches the ape with a left-diagonal strike, landing a direct hit straight on it's head, making the ape fall backwards onto the ground defeated. Then, Ducar slams his Keyblade down on the ground, making pieces of rock jut up from the ground toward three apes, knocking them back. Finally, Ducar spins in the air, summoning three large boulders that smash down on the Unversed and the Apes, finishing the fight.

With the Unversed and Apes defeated, the Manweersmalls were freed. Afterwards, the trio met up with Mole-Yair and Exhumor.

"I see you two crazy kids found each other." Sparx says

"Yes. No thanks to you." Mole-Yair says

"We're just disappointed you didn't leave any fun for us." Exhumor says

"Maybe next time." Spyro says

"So now, which way do we go to get to Terrador?" Ducar asks

"That way. But be careful. I also heard rumors of a dark, powerful, evil being was close by. Most likely he will be lying in wait for you." Exhumor warns

"Well, he won't have long to wait. We'll be ready for him." Ducar says

"When you say be careful, does that mean try not to die? I'm trying to do that anyway." Sparx says

"Come, Exhumor, we must get all the Manweersmalls underground where they belong." Mole-Yair says

Suddenly, the ground started to shake again.

"Yes. It won't be long now." Exhumor says

"Then, we'd best hurry." Ducar says

Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx headed into the direction Exhumor showed them while he and Mole-Yair along with the rest of the Manweersmalls dug their way back underground. And sure enough, the heroic trio found Terrador trapped in a round steel cage that sparked with purple lightning while levitating in mid-air.

"Is that Terrador?" Spyro asks

"Big dragon being held prisoner in the center of an explosive volcano? I'm guessing that's Terrador." Sparx says

"Careful. It's not that easy." Spyro says

"After the last two times, you're not gonna get an argument from me, chief." Sparx says

"C'mon. Let's get Terrador out of that cage." Ducar says

 **"NOT IF I HAVE ANY SAY IN THE MATTER."** The dark voice says

Suddenly, a mass of darkness appeared in the center of the area. The dark mass soon faded away and standing before the heroes was a familiar figure. It was none other than Lord Thanatos, the evil Keyblade Master. Spyro and Sparx were surprised having to see Lord Thanatos still in his black cloak.

Lord Thanatos, twelve years in the past, still had his evil appearance. His strong muscular body, his tall height, his dark armor, and last but not least, his demonic red eyes which was now staring at the heroes that stood before him.

"You. I should have known." Ducar says

"Ducar, is that-" Spyro asks

"Yes, Spyro. This was the dark figure I spoke of earlier." Ducar says

 **"DUCAR... SO NICE OF YOU AND YOUR PET DRAGON TO MEET ME IN MY LONELINESS. I'VE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR ENCOUTNER."** Lord Thanatos says

"Who are you calling pet dragon!" Spyro says

"His name is Spyro and don't you forget it, shady guy." Sparx says

"You never answered my question before so I shall ask again: Who are you?" Ducar asks pointing his Keyblade at Lord Thanatos demanding an answer

 **"IF IT IS MY NAME YOU SEEK, THEN I SHALL GRANT YOUR REQUEST. I AM KNOWN AS LORD THANATOS, THE RIGHT-HAND OF THE DARK LORD OF THE SHADOWS, AND HIS CHOSEN SUCCESSOR."**

"Dark Lord of the Shadows? Who are you talking about?" Spyro asks

 **"THAT NEED NOT CONCERN YOU, PURPLE DRAGON. OR SHOULD I CALL YOU BY YOUR NAME: SPYRO."** Lord Thanatos says

Spyro was shocked to hear Lord Thanatos speak his name. He had never seen anyone like Lord Thanatos in his entire life, yet he seemed to know much about him.

"How do you know my name?" Spyro asks

"Yeah? What are you? Psychic?" Sparx asks

 **"I KNOW ALL THERE IS TO KNOW THROUGH MY MASTER'S EYES. AS SUCH, I PREDICTED YOUR ARRIVAL HERE AT THIS EXACT MOMENT WHERE WE WERE DESTINED TO MEET." Lord Thanatos says**

Ducar and Spyro look over at Terrador with concern for his safety. Lord Thanatos could see the concern in their eyes, knowing that they were determined to free Terrador from his imprisonment.

 **"IF YOU ARE HERE TO RESCUE THE DRAGON, TERRADOR, I'M AFRAID YOU'RE TOO LATE. HIS ESSENSE HAS ALREADY BEEN DRAINED AND OUR DARK CRYSTAL IS ALL BUT ONE STEP CLOSER TO BEING FULLY COMPLETE."** Lord Thanatos says

"What exactly do you and Cynder plan on using the crystal for? And why the Guardians? Why drain them of their power?" Ducar asks

 **"ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE DARK MASTER?"** Lord Thanatos asks

Ducar and Spyro look at each other confused, then look back at Lord Thanatos.

"No, we haven't." Ducar says

 **"I ASSUMED AS MUCH. APPARENTLY, IGNITUS HAS NOT TOLD YOU THE ENTIRE TRUTH. ALLOW ME TO ILLUCINATE FOR YOU."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos paced back and forth as he told the heroes more about the Dark Master.

 **"IMAGINE AN ENDLESS, MYSTERIOUS DIMENSIONAL REALM FULL OF POWER THAT ACTS AS AN AIRLOCK BETWEEN THIS WORLD AND THE DARK REALM. WITHIN THIS REALM, A GREAT EVIL SLEEPS. AN EVIL THAT HAD THROWN THIS WORLD INTO WAR AND CAST IT'S SHADOW UPON THE LAND AND IT'S INHABITANTS. THE DARK MASTER IS THAT EVIL. HE IS A POWERFUL BEING WHOSE SOUL HAD BEEN BANISHED AND IMPRISONED WITHIN THIS ETERNAL VOID BY THE ANCIENT ANCESTORS OF THIS WORLD AS DIVINE PUNISHMENT FOR HIS CRIMES."** Lord Thanatos says

"So, you and Cynder intend to free the Dark Master from his imprisonment by using the collected energy of the Guardians so that this world will fall into darkness." Ducar says

Lord Thanatos looks at Ducar with an evil smile on his face.

 **"FOR A KEYBLADE WIELDER, YOU CATCH ON PRETTY QUICK. AS YOU ARE WELL AWARE, THE THREE GUARDIANS, VOLTEER, CYRIL, AND TERRADOR HAVE ALREADY HAD THEIR ENERGY DRAINED. AND THAT LEAVES US WITH ONLY ONE GUARDIAN LEFT."** Lord Thanatos says

Ducar and Spyro immediately knew who Lord Thanatos spoke of.

"Ignitus!" Ducar gasps

 **"YES. AND ONCE WE FIND HIM, THE DARK CRYSTAL WILL BE COMPLETE AND THE DARK MASTER SHALL BE FREE TO ROAM THE DRAGON REALMS ONCE MORE. TO FOREVER RULE THIS WORLD IN ETERNAL DARKNESS."** Lord Thanatos says

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Spyro says

 **"DO YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN STAND AGAINST ME? I HAVE FACED MANY WARRIORS BEFORE YOU IN MY ETERNAL LIFETIME AND ALL HAVE FALLEN IN THEIR FUTILE EFFORT TO DEFEAT ME. I AM FAR MORE POWERFUL THAN WHAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF. YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE DEPTHS OF MY LIMITLESS POWER."** Lord Thanatos

Lord Thanatos whips off his black cloak, revealing his dark armor and bodysuit.

 **"ALLOW ME TO GIVE YOU DEMONSTRATION OF MY POWER."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos held his right-hand out and what appeared in his hand shocked both Ducar, Spyro and Sparx. Appearing in a flash of darkness with black smoke and dark red electric sparks, in Lord Thanatos' hand was a familiar Keyblade: The Harbinger of Shadows, the most powerful Keyblade of Darkness. Ducar summons his Keyblade: Vanguard of Honor into his right-hand and gets into battle stance. Spyro rears back and also gets into battle stance alongside Ducar. Both of them prepared themselves to fight their most powerful foe ever, Lord Thanatos, the Keyblade Master of Darkness.

Lord Thanatos was without a doubt extremely powerful and fearsome. He was unmatched in the skills of the Keyblade and dark magic. He was extremely swift and agile. And he also had immense, immortal strength and endurance. Ducar and Spyro both knew fighting Lord Thanatos would be no simple task.

 **"BEFORE YOU DIE, REVEAL TO ME YOUR POTENTIAL. SHOW ME WHAT THE RARE PURPLE DRAGON AND THE GREAT KEYBLADE WIELDER CAN DO."** Lord Thanatos says

Ducar leaps forward at Lord Thanatos to execute an overhead jumping strike with his Keyblade, but Lord Thanatos simply steps aside causing Ducar to miss. Ducar whirls around and swings his Keyblade at Lord Thanatos, aiming for his head. Again, Lord Thanatos dodges Ducar's Keyblade by leaning his whole body back. Ducar swings a horizontal slash at Lord Thanatos, going for his chest. Again, Lord Thanatos dodges Ducar's Keyblade by jumping back.

Spyro tries to attack Lord Thanatos by using his Fire Breath, spewing streams of fire toward him. Lord Thanatos stretches out his left-hand and conjures a dark blue shield of darkness infront of him which shields him from the flames. Next, Spyro tries his Electric Breath, sending bolts of electricity toward Lord Thanatos. Lord Thanatos holds his Dark Keyblade out infront of him and absorbs the electricity. Lord Thanatos pulls his left-arm back and thrusts his hand forward, sending dark blue lightning bolts at Spyro who jumps out of the way. Spyro tries using his Ice Breath, shooting ice shards at Lord Thanatos, but he deflects each of the ice shards with a swipe of his Dark Keyblade. Finally, Spyro tried using his Earth Breath, launching several green energy blasts at Lord Thanatos, but the Dark Keyblade Master holds his left-hand out and absorbs the energy blasts into his hand. Once he was done, Lord Thanatos grips his hand into a fist, making a dark blue aura appear briefly on his hand.

 **"SO, YOU ARE ABLE TO WIELD DIFFERENT ELEMENTAL ABILITIES. THE LEGENDS OF THE PURPLE DRAGON HAVE PROVEN TO BE TRUE.** **I CAN SEE THERE IS MUCH TO BE EXPECTED FROM A YOUNG DRAGON SUCH AS YOURSELF.** **HOWEVER, YOUR COLLECTIVE POWER CANNOT SAVE YOU FROM MY WRATH!"** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos disappears in a flash of darkness, catching Spyro by surprise. The Dark Keyblade Master soon reappears behind Spyro and raises his Dark Keyblade to bring it down on the purple dragon. Spyro quickly turned around and saw Lord Thanatos swing his Dark Keyblade down. Ducar jumps infront of Spyro and holds up his Keyblade, saving Spyro from being hit. Ducar shoves Lord Thanatos back and tries to strike him with a left-diagonal slash, but the Dark Keyblade Master jumps back into the air. He then levitates down to the ground and stares at the two heroes with his evil eyes.

 **"I ALSO SENSE THAT THERE IS GREAT POWER WITHIN YOU, DUCAR. IT'S ONLY A PITY THAT ERAQUS FAILS TO SEE IT. NO, I SEE MUCH MORE IN YOU."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos swings his Dark Keyblade with a right slash, launching a dark blue crescent blade of darkness at Ducar and Spyro, but the two heroes both jump out of the way. Ducar raises his Keyblade into the air, summoning a large, giant meteor and having it crash down on Lord Thanatos. Lord Thanatos throws his Keyblade at the giant meteor. The Dark Keyblade slices through the large meteor, cutting it in two. The meteor crashes into the ground and explodes. Ducar and Spyro shield themselves from the explosion while Sparx was sent flying into Spyro's chest. Once the explosion dims down, the heroes look ahead of them and saw Lord Thanatos standing in his prime, completely unscathed by the attack.

Lord Thanatos sinks into the ground disappearing into the darkness. All that Ducar and Spyro could see was a pool of darkness which started to head toward them. Just before the pool of darkness reached them, Ducar and Spyro jumped out of the way. Lord Thanatos jumps out of the ground with a flurry of dark blasts. Lord Thanatos jumps into the air and swings his Keyblade sending dark lightning bolts down toward Ducar and Spyro who dodge the attack.

 **"PATHETIC. TRULY PATHETIC. YOU CAN'T EVEN PUT A SINGLE SCRATCH IN MY ARMOR."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos looks at Spyro with his demonic eyes.

 **"YOUR POWER AS A RARE PURPLE DRAGON IS NOTHING COMPARED TO THE EXTENT OF MY OWN POWER."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos then directs his gaze toward Ducar.

 **"AND I EXPECTED MUCH FROM YOU, DUCAR. IS THIS ALL THAT ERAQUS HAS TAUGHT YOU? IT IS NO WONDER WHY YOU FAIL TO SHOW THE MARK OF MASTERY."** Lord Thanatos says

Ducar charges at Lord Thanatos with his Keyblade raised over his right-shoulder and takes a swing at him. Lord Thanatos blocks against Ducar's strike by holding his Dark Keyblade infront of him. Ducar then tries to strike Lord Thanatos with three downward slashes, but still Lord Thanatos uses his Dark Keyblade to defend against the blows that were thrown at him. After blocking the third strike, Lord Thanatos shoves Ducar back and stretches his left-hand out toward him. Ducar soon found himself lifted off his feet and was left suspended in the air, caught in the grip of a telekinetic force that emanated from Lord Thanatos' hand. Ducar tried to move his body in an attempt to free himself, but to no avail. Ducar was completely restrained. All he could do was move his head.

"Ducar!" Spyro cries out

Spyro tried to help Ducar by using his Electric Breath on Lord Thanatos, sending lightning bolts at the Dark Keyblade Master. Without even looking, Lord Thanatos stretches his arm out, holding his Dark Keyblade out in defense. The lightning bolts hit and was absorbed by the Dark Keyblade. As the lightning bolts were absorbed into the Dark Keyblade, they started to change color. The yellow bolts soon turned red. With the red lightning now surging through the Dark Keyblade, Lord Thanatos directs it toward Spyro, hitting him with a powerful electric blast. Spyro was thrown back and was sent rolling across the ground.

"Spyro!" Ducar cries out

With Ducar trapped in his grip, Lord Thanatos turns his hand over and pulls Ducar closer to him until he was inches away from his face.

 **"YOUR HEART HOLDS A POWERFUL DARKNESS INSIDE YOU, DUCAR. IT LURKS DEEP WITHIN YOU, WAITING TO BE UNLEAHSED. EMBRACE IT'S POWER. LET IT GIVE YOU STRENGTH. ONLY THROUGH THE POWER OF DARKNESS WILL YOU HAVE THE STRENGTH TO DEFEAT ME."** Lord Thanatos says

"Never!" Ducar yells

After hearing that, Lord Thanatos turns around and hurls Ducar through the air with just a wave of his hand. Ducar was sent rolling across the ground.

"Gu! Gnh! Ah! Argh!" Ducar grunts

Ducar soon came to a stop laying on his right-side.

 **"IF YOU WILL NOT SUBMIT TO THE DARKNESS INSIDE YOU, THEN YOU CAN WATCH THE PURPLE DRAGON DIE!"** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos looks over to the right where Spyro was just recovering from his previous attack. He then stretches his left-hand out toward the purple dragon and hits him with a blast of dark blue lightning bolts projected from his fingertips. Spyro was hit by the lightning bolts and was violently electrocuted painfully with a powerful discharge, making him flail and scream.

"Aaah!" Spyro screams in pain

"No!" Ducar screams in horror

Ducar looks at Lord Thanatos with an angry look full of pure rage. His dark brown eyes turned red and his pupils turned into slits.

"Stop it... Leave him alone... Stop it!" Ducar says raising his voice

Ducar slowly rose up to his feet and stood with his Keyblade held tightly in his grip. Now, he was full of anger. Ducar began to radiate a black aura of darkness that emitted an ominous dark blue glow and a black light was focused on his hands. Wisps of darkness began to emanate from his body as well.

"I... said... stop!" Ducar shouts

In less than a second, Ducar flies straight toward Lord Thanatos with his Keyblade raised over his right-shoulder, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Rrraaaaaaaaaahhh!" Ducar screams out in rage

Lord Thanatos looked over to his left and saw Ducar leaping toward him. Reacting quickly, Lord Thanatos jumps away just as Ducar slams his Keyblade down. The force of Ducar's blow was so strong that it made a large crack on the ground. Spyro was so relieved that the electric assault upon him had ceased thanks to Ducar. Sparx flew over to Spyro and checked on his brother.

"Spyro, buddy, you okay?" Sparx asks feeling concerned

"I am now, thanks to Ducar. Where is he anyway?" Spyro says

"Uh, Spyro..." Sparx says

Spyro looks over to his left and saw Ducar standing up against Lord Thanatos, consumed by the darkness in his heart.

 **"AT LAST, YOU SHOW YOUR TRUE POWER, SUCCUMBING TO THE DARKNESS IN ORDER TO OPPOSE ME. NOW, WE HAVE A REAL FIGHT."** Lord Thanatos says

Spyro and Sparx watched as the two powerful Keyblade Wielders fought each other.

With all the power of darkness surging through his body, Ducar attacks Lord Thanatos, striking him with a barrage of dark-based attacks. Ducar's attacks was now completely aggressive as his blows were fueled by his rage. His attacks had now become so brutal that it put Lord Thanatos on the defense.

Ducar swings his Keyblade at Lord Thanatos' head with a right slash at an incredible speed in an attempt to decapitate him, but the Dark Keyblade Master quickly ducks down, making Ducar miss. Ducar then swings his Keyblade with a downward slash to try and slice Lord Thanatos in half, again he misses as Lord Thanatos quickly sidestepped to the right. Ducar growls in anger and turns around to face Lord Thanatos. He raises his Keyblade over his right-shoulder and swings with a diagonal slash, but Lord Thanatos holds his Dark Keyblade opposite of Ducar and blocks against the blow, catching the two in a blade lock. The two warriors pushed against each other's strength, staring into each other's eyes. Eventually, Ducar shoves Lord Thanatos back and strikes his chest with a left-diagonal slash, making the Dark Keyblade Master stagger back.

Ducar aims his Keyblade at Lord Thanatos and fires six dark blasts at him. Lord Thanatos deflects each of the dark blasts with his Dark Keyblade, holding it out infront of him. Next, Ducar swings his Keyblade with a downward slash, launching a dark blue crescent blade of darkness at Lord Thanatos who counters with a similar colored crescent blade of his own. The two crescent blades clash and cancel each other out. Then, Ducar throws his Keyblade at Lord Thanatos with a right toss. The Keyblade soared across the air with a dark blue aura as it headed toward it's target. Before it could reach him, Lord Thanatos leaps high into the air, making Ducar's Keyblade miss and vanish in a flash of darkness. Ducar looks up and saw Lord Thanatos swing his Dark Keyblade with a right slash, launching a dark blast of electricity down toward him. Ducar leaps over to the right and rolls across the ground just as the dark blue lightning bolts strike the ground. Lord Thanatos lands crouched down on the ground and both he and Ducar rise back up on their feet.

The two Keyblade Wielders charge at each other and clash with powerful force, creating a shockwave of darkness. Spyro and Sparx both shield themselves from the darkness as it blows toward them. After the shockwave had passed, they both look ahead and saw Ducar and Lord Thanatos caught in another blade lock. Lord Thanatos pushes down on Ducar with great strength, but Ducar quickly got the upperhand and he shoves Lord Thanatos back. From there, Ducar motions his Keyblade back and swings his Keyblade with an upward and downward slash, then swings left and right four times. He whirls forward delivering a spinning strike, then whirls backward delivering another spinning strike. Finally, Ducar finishes the fight with a final, devastating strike, swinging his Keyblade down on Lord Thanatos' chest, sending him flying back across the area.

Lord Thanatos fell down on his back and slid across the ground, eventually coming to a stop. With the Dark Keyblade Master defeated, Ducar reverted back to his former self as the dark aura faded away and his eyes changed back into his own. He blinked his eyes and fell down on one knee. Ducar laid his Keyblade down on the ground and it disappeared from his right-hand. Spyro and Sparx quickly rushed over to Ducar seeing that he was back to being himself.

"Ducar, what was that? Are you alright?" Spyro asks

Ducar looks up at Spyro.

"What happened? What did I do?" Ducar asks

"You kicked Lord Thanatos' butt. That's what you did." Sparx says

Ducar looked infront of him and saw Lord Thanatos lying on the ground. He then looked at his right-hand. Remembering the task at hand, Ducar turned his attention to Terrador. The cage that held Terrador exploded and shattered into pieces, dropping the large dragon down onto the ground. Terrador, the Earth Guardian regained consciousness and awakened to see Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx standing before him.

"The purple dragon lives! And the Keyblade Wielder lives as well! The rumors were true!" Terrador says feeling surprised

"They have a name you know." Sparx says

"Yes. My name is Spyro, and this is my friend, Ducar. You must be Terrador."

"Yes, yes, I am, and I must say I never thought I'd live to meet you, Spyro, and you, Ducar, a Keyblade Wielder." Terrador says

"I am honored, Terrador." Ducar says

"I'd love to sit here and hug everybody and all, but how 'bout we leave before the volcano blows us up?" Sparx says

"You're right. I've got to tell the others what Cynder and Lord Thanatos are up to." Terrador says

 **"WILL YOU NOW?"** A dark voice says

Ducar, Spyro, Sparx, and Terrador turned around and looked behind them to see Lord Thanatos standing before them with a dark blue aura of darkness enveloping his entire being.

 **"WHY LEAVE SO SOON? THE FUN HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos spreads his arms out and raises them up into the air as he calls out for Cynder.

 **"CYNDER! TERROR OF THE SKIES! MY LOYAL DRAGON! COME FORTH!"** Lord Thanatos says

Cynder bursts out from the lava and hovers in the air. She grabs hold of a large purple crystal where Terrador was held captive, lands behind Lord Thanatos, and curls her body around the dark being, protecting him from the heroes. Lord Thanatos jumps onto Cynder's back and they both take off into the air.

"Run!" Terrador yells

"Look, when the guy says run, I think he knows something!" Sparx says

Terrador takes off into the air and tries to attack Lord Thanatos and Cynder, but Cynder slams her tail into Terrador, sending the Earth Dragon crashing down into the ground.

"Go, Spyro! Go, Ducar! I'll go back to the temple for help!" Terrador says

Lord Thanatos and Cynder soon set their sights on Ducar and Spyro. Ducar presses on his left-pauldron with his right-hand and he quickly switches into his Keyblade Armor. Ducar throws his Keyblade into the air with a vertical underhand toss. The Keyblade transforms into Ducar's Keyblade Glider and it flies down to him. Ducar jumps onto his Keyblade Glider and takes off into the air followed by Spyro and Sparx with Lord Thanatos and Cynder in pursuit.

Lord Thanatos and Cynder pursue Ducar and Spyro throughout the inside of the volcano. Lord Thanatos grips his right-hand into a fist, then slowly opens it up, conjuring a sparking orb of dark blue electricity in his palm. With a thrust of his hand, Lord Thanatos hurls a dark electric blast at the two heroes who fly out of the way, making it miss and hit a stalagmite which exploded into pieces. Then, Lord Thanatos directs his hand toward the stalagmites which was further ahead of the two heroes. He closes his hand into a fist and thrusts his arm downward, causing the stalagmites to crumble from the ceiling and fall toward Ducar and Spyro. The two heroes quickly flew out of the way of the incoming stalagmites and continued flying through the volcano.

Eventually, Ducar and Spyro made it out of the volcano with Lord Thanatos and Cynder still in pursuit. The two villains began to close in on the two heroes. But before they could reach them, Ignitus flies in and rams into Cynder. Ducar and Spyro stopped and spared a few moments to watch Ignitus fend off the two villains. Ignitus and Cynder bit and clawed at each other. They both soon fell into the dark clouds down below. Ducar and Spyro were about to chase after them, but Terrador flies up to them, cutting off their path.

"We've got to go after them and help Ignitus!" Spyro says

"They're gone, Spyro. There's nothing we can do." Sparx says

"I don't care. Ignitus wouldn't leave us." Spyro says

"We can't leave Ignitus to be captured by Cynder and Lord Thanatos." Ducar says

"Spyro, Ducar, he's right." Terrador says

"I'm right? Oh my god. That's a first." Sparx says

"Yes. You'll never find them in this mess, and you're both not ready to fight Cynder or Lord Thanatos yet. The time to fight will come, but it is not now." Terrador says

"I guess you're right. Let's go." Spyro says

Spyro, Terrador, and Sparx fly off back to the Dragon Temple. Ducar takes one last look toward where Ignitus, Lord Thanatos and Cynder fell before heading back to the Dragon Temple with his friends.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx have saved Cyril. Now all that was left is Terrador, the Earth Guardian. The heroes are now starting to put the pieces of the puzzle together. They soon realize Cynder's Plan: She intends to harness the Guardians' elemental powers to open a portal that must never be opened. Ignitus sends Ducar, Spyro and Sparx to save Terrador and the Manweersmalls in Munitions Forge. There, they meet Mole-Yair and his brother, Exhumor and help free the Manweersmalls from enslavement. Afterwards, Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx reach Terrador and they finally meet the dark figure who was actually Lord Thanatos, the Right-hand of the Dark Lord of the Shadows, the Keyblade Master of Darkness. With Spyro, Ducar faces Lord Thanatos in an epic battle to save Terrador. Unfortunately, Lord Thanatos was too powerful against them. So Ducar was left with no other choice but to use the darkness inside him and unleash it's full power. Using the power of darkness, Ducar manages to defeat Lord Thanatos and save Terrador. But before the heroes could leave with Terrador, Lord Thanatos calls upon Cynder and the two villains pursued the heroes until Ignitus saved them, only to be captured himself. What will happen to Ignitus? And how will Ducar and Spyro rescue him? Also, I changed Lord Thanatos' voice reference. From this point forward, Lord Thanatos will be voiced by Erik Dellums, the voice of Prince Arcann from _Star Wars: The Old Republic: Knights of the Fallen Empire._ Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	7. Cynder's Lair

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Dragon Temple_ )

Having saved Terrador and escaped Lord Thanatos and Cynder, Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx held a meeting with Cyril, Volteer, and Terrador inside the main chamber.

"It's my fault. I failed Ignitus when he needed me most. It's just that the sight of Cynder and Lord Thanatos so close, just...just-" Spyro says

"Made your heart stop? Put ice in your veins? Scared the crud out of you?" Sparx says

"Yeah. Something like that." Spyro says

"Don't blame yourself, Spyro. We both failed. We were both at fault." Ducar says

"All warriors feel fear at one time or another. There is no shame in that." Terrador says

"Yes, it's a proven scientific fact that he quotient between adrenaline and trepidation-" Volteer says

"Volteer, please, I believe our good friend here was trying to making a point." Cyril says

"Thank you, Cyril. What I was going to say was that all warriors feel fear, but only the most valiant among us can face that fear and master it. From what I saw of you two on Munitions Forge, you are both valiant warriors." Terrador says

Terrador walks around the pool of visions and walks toward the entrance of the training chamber.

"Now then, it is time to complete your training. Now is the time to face your fear. Come." Terrador says

Ducar and Spyro followed Terrador into the training chamber with Sparx following them.

"Am I the only one petrified?" Sparx asks

Once they were inside the training chamber, the dragon statue lowers down into the hole and the floor closes up.

"The power to wield the soil, wind, the world itself is now within your grasp. Let's begin." Terrador says

Spyro was up first for his training as four small dojo dummies appeared infront of him.

"First, Spyro, I want you to try out your Earth Breath on these dummies. Hit each of them with your Earth Shot." Terrador says

Spyro uses his Earth Breath, firing green energy blasts from his mouth at the dummies. One by one, each of the dummies were hit several times by the energy blasts before they disintegrated.

"Always be gracious of victory, Spyro." Terrador says

Four more small dummies appeared infront of Spyro as his next challenge began.

"Now, hit these dummies with your Earth Bomb." Terrador says

Spyro fired a leafy bomb from his mouth which exploded into a large green tornado that sucked up the dummies, twirled them around, and sent them high into the sky. From there, Spyro jumps up and smacks one dummy down to the ground with his tail, performing a somersault. Next, he hits another dummy with a spin attack, sending it crashing into a nearby wall. Then, Spyro hits the third dummy with a backflip, sending the dummy crashing into the ceiling. Finally, the purple dragon dives down on the last dummy with his horns, smashing it down into the ground.

"You might prove to be a true warrior yet." Terrador says

Six medium dojo dummies appeared around Spyro and surrounded him.

"For your final challenge, summon forth the wind and earth, and unleash it through yourself." Terrador says

Spyro began to levitate in mid-air with his entire body swirling with wind. Six tornadoes began to swirl in circles around him. Just as the dummies closed in on him, they were blown away by powerful gusts of wind. Then, massive boulders fall down from above, crushing all the dummies.

"Very well done, Spyro. Ignitus would be very proud." Terrador says

Spyro walks back over to Terrador and Ducar. Then, the two dragons look at Ducar wanting to see him use to see if he could use the power of Earth as well.

"Ducar, it is now your turn. Give us a demonstration of your power. Show us what you can do with your Keyblade." Terrador says

Ducar nods in acknowledgment and he steps forward. Four medium dojo dummies appeared infront of Ducar who summoned his Keyblade in a flash of light in his right-hand. Ducar spins his Keyblade around his body, then draws it to his right-side, holding it with both hands.

The four dummies charged at Ducar while he stood where he was, holding his Keyblade infront of him with his eyes closed. Ducar's body began to emit a bright brown aura with rock particles emanating from both his body and his Keyblade. Just as the dummies reach him, Ducar opened his eyes which briefly flashed with a brown light. He takes his Keyblade, turns it over, raises it over his head, then drives it down into the ground, causing dozens of rock shards to swirl around him, then shoot out at the dummies, taking them all out.

Six more medium dummies appeared infront of Ducar and they charged at him all at once. One of dummies swings it's club down at Ducar, but he leans his body over to the left, dodging the blow, and counters with a right slash at it's side, taking it out with one hit. Another dummy tries swinging it's club at Ducar with horizontal strike, but Ducar leaps over the dummy with a somersault, striking it down with his Keyblade. One of the remaining four dummies tried to hit Ducar with it's club, but he leaps high into the air, making the dummy miss. In the air, Ducar raises his Keyblade over his head while he charges up with light brown energy. Once fully charged, Ducar smashes his Keyblade down on the dummy that attacked him, creating a shockwave around him that sent the other three dummies staggering back. The dummies were then hit by a barrage of meteors that came crashing down on them.

Six more dummies appeared infront of Ducar and they attacked, charging at him. Ducar takes his Keyblade and throws it at the dummies with a right-diagonal toss. The Keyblade flies across the air, letting the wind guide it toward it's targets. The Keyblade slices through one dummy, then flies around and slices through another dummy. Ducar leaps into the air, catches his Keyblade in his hand, and raises it over his right-shoulder. A gold light briefly flashes at the tip of Ducar's Keyblade. Ducar takes his Keyblade and swings down at one of the dummies, slicing it in half vertically down the center. Then, massive boulders wrapped in gold light rise up from the ground, sending the three remaining dummies flying and crashing into the nearby walls.

A final group of eight medium dummies appeared around Ducar and they all surrounded him. Ducar stood his ground and held his Keyblade infront of him as he prepared to unleash a final, devastating attack. Ducar held his Keyblade infront of him with both hands. He then closes his eyes as he concentrates on drawing from the power of Earth. A huge whirlwind began to swirl around Ducar as he started to levitate in mid-air. The whirlwind also sucked the dummies in, drawing them closer to him. When he was fully charged, Ducar opens his eyes which briefly emitted a light brown aura, crosses his arms, then thrusts his body out, unleashing a powerful gust of wind that sent the dummies flying. Spyro, Sparx, and Terrador shielded themselves from the powerful wind that was blowing throughout the room. When the wind fades away, they looked ahead of them and saw Ducar standing before of them with his Keyblade held up to his face.

"Incredible. I have heard much about these Keyblade Wielders like Ignitus has, but to see one perform such magnificent feats is truly a privilege. You are no doubt a true warrior, Ducar. Now, the final confrontation awaits." Terrador says

( _Moments later_ )

After their training, Ducar, Spyro, Sparx, and Terrador returned to the main chamber to continue their meeting.

"You've done well. Both of you." Terrador says

"Yes, yes, pat on the back, good going, all that rubbish, but we've got to get moving here." Cyril says

"Cyril is terribly obnoxious but in this case he happens to be right, Terrador.  
Ignitus is the final piece to Cynder and Lord Thanatos' puzzle. If that last crystal is powered, the portal will be opened and we'll all be done for." Volteer says

"I know. I know. When I was on Munitions Forge, I overheard Cynder's minions say that Cynder and Lord Thanatos' Final Preparations would take place at Cynder's lair, where she lives in solitude among the clouds and towers. I am certain that's where they've taken Ignitus." Terrador says

"Then we have to go, Terrador. If we're going to rescue Ignitus, he'll need all the help he can get." Ducar says

"I'd give anything to fight alongside you and Spyro, Ducar, but that crystal sapped the last of my will. I fear my fighting days are over." Terrador says

"Every generation must pass the torch to the next, Terrador. Our time is done." Volteer says

"Yes, it is Spyro and Ducar's time to shine. Now go to it, young warriors!" Cyril says

"We will not fail." Ducar says with a bow

"Wow, you guys make me even wanna face Cynder and that Lord Thanatos creep." Sparx says

Ducar took his leave and he headed out of the Dragon Temple with Spyro and Sparx following close behind. Together, they set out for Cynder's Lair to help rescue Ignitus from Cynder and Lord Thanatos.

"Did I say that out loud?" Sparx asks as they headed out the Dragon Temple

( _Concurrent Skies_ )

Ducar, Spyro and Sparx arrive in Concurrent Skies where Cynder's Lair stood before them. Cynder's Lair was a dark, black castle standing several feet high into the dark clouds. Dark purple lightning streaked across the dark sky above, illuminating the area with it's ominous light. As they stood infront of the terrifying castle, the heroes remember what Terrador told them about Cynder's lair.

 _"Cynder's Lair is where hope goes to die. A dark, foreboding place where Cynder broods and skulks and plans her next assault. There is no doubt that Lord Thanatos will be there with her. You must make you're way to their fortress, where I'm sure Ignitus is being held."_

"Next time I say that I want to face Cynder and Lord Thanatos, why don't you go ahead and punch me in the mouth." Sparx says

"No problem." Spyro says

"This place is teeming with darkness. We'd best be cautious." Ducar says

"Lead the way, Ducar." Spyro says

Just as the heroes were about to make their way toward Cynder's Lair, they saw Cynder herself fly overhead, making her way up to the tallest tower of the castle.

Making their way across crystal fissures, Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx arrived at Cynder's Lair, standing before a large, black door which opened up to reveal The Electric King who wielded a black shield and a black spear with a curved blade on one side at the weapon's tip. The Electric King jumped down from the top of the black stairs and landed infront of the two heroes. Ducar summoned his Keyblade: Vanguard of Honor into his hands and got into battle stance. Spyro reared back and got into battle stance alongside Ducar.

The Electric King struck first by swinging his spear at Ducar and Spyro, but they jump back to avoid being sliced. Then, the Electric King raised his spear into the air, and swung it down, sending dozens of purple crystal shards at the two heroes. Ducar stood infront of Spyro and he quickly deflected the crystal shards with his Keyblade.

Now it was the heroes turn to strike. Spyro uses his Fire Breath, shooting several fireballs at the Ice King, all of which hit with direct impact. Then, the purple dragon uses his Ice Breath, launching several ice shards at the Electric King, all of which land with direct impact.

The Electric King retaliates by cleaving his spear down on Spyro. Ducar jumps in and blocks the attack with his Keyblade with only one hand, saving Spyro. After blocking the spear of the Electric King, Ducar shoves the Electric King back, then performs a powerful spinning attack, landing a hit at the Electric King's chest.

The Electric King let out a yell of anger and he charged at Ducar with his spear drawn back. The Electric King tried to impale Ducar with his spear, but he swings his Keyblade with a left slash, knocking the spear away. From there, Ducar jumps up and lands another hit to the Electric King's chest with a diagonal slash, making his opponent stagger back.

The Electric King drives his spear down into the ground, causing lightning bolts to strike down on the two heroes. Ducar and Spyro jump away to avoid being zapped by the lightning bolts. The Electric King then went for Ducar, swinging his spear down on him. Ducar held up his Keyblade in defense and blocked against the attack. The Electric King pushed down on Ducar, forcing him down on one knee. Spyro rushes to Ducar's aid and he rams into the Electric King with his horns, landing a direct hit on his chest. Then, the purple dragon uses his Earth Breath, launching an earth bomb from his mouth. The green bomb hits the Electric King's chest and explodes, knocking him back.

The Electric King was soon left stunned and weakened. This gave Ducar his chance to finish the fight. Ducar holds his Keyblade out infront of him and raises it up to the sky, causing an orb of blue light to appear at the tip of his Keyblade. The orb started to grow bigger in size and soon it was larger than the Electric King himself. When he was fully charged, Ducar swings his Keyblade down, sending the large orb of pure energy crashing down on the Electric King. There was a large explosion that threw the Electric King back.

The Electric King tried to get back up, but he falls onto his knees, then collapses onto the ground defeated.

After dealing with the Electric King, Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx entered the large castle and made their way up to the peak of Cynder's Lair where they found Ignitus, confined within a round cage with his arms spread out, and his powers being drained by the dark crystal.

"Um... guys? Guys?" Sparx says

"What?" Spyro asks

"I don't like this... It feels like they're baiting us. I'm getting smarter." Sparx says

"Spyro... Ducar... destroy the crystal... quickly." Ignitus says weakly

"Let's get him out of there!" Spyro says

"Right." Ducar says

Ducar summons his Keyblade: Vanguard of Honor in his right-hand and points it toward Ignitus. Before they could do anything, Cynder stands infront of the heroes, protecting the crystal.

"If only it were that easy, little ones." Cynder says

A dark corridor opens up infront of Cynder and from this corridor walks out a dark being of pure evil. The dark corridor closes and standing before Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx alongside Cynder's left-side was none other than Lord Thanatos, the Dark Keyblade Master.

"They arrived. Just as you predicted, my Lord Thanatos." Cynder says

A sinister grin formed on Lord Thanatos' face, although it could not be seen from underneath his mask.

 **"YES... THEIR COMPASSION FOR THEIR DEAR FRIEND, IGNITUS, WAS ALWAYS THEIR WEAKNESS. IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THEY WOULD COME HERE AND TRY TO SAVE HIM. YOU HAVE DONE WELL LURING THEM TO US, CYNDER, MY PET."** Lord Thanatos says stroking Cynder's arm with his right-hand

Lord Thanatos took a few steps forward, making Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx back away a bit.

 **"SO, YOU HAVE COME ALL THIS WAY FACING YOUR FEARS TO SAVE IGNITUS. BUT I'M AFRAID THAT WON'T BE HAPPENING ANYTIME SOON. HIS FATE IS ALREADY SEALED... AS IS YOURS."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos spreads his left-hand out, gesturing to the dark crystal that was draining Ignitus of his energy.

 **"YOU'RE TOO LATE. OUR CRYSTAL IS ALL BUT COMPLETE. THE ELEMENTAL POWERS OF THE DRAGON GUARDIANS NOW STIR WITHIN IT. THEY ARE NOW WITHIN OUR POSSESSION."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos turns his head to the left and looks over his shoulder, back at Ignitus.

 **"ALL EXCEPT ONE."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos turns his head to look back at the heroes.

 **"IT WON'T BE LONG NOW. THE PORTAL SHALL SOON OPEN AND MALEFOR,** **THE DARK MASTER OF THIS WORLD SHALL BE FREE ONCE MORE** **. WITH MALEFOR RELEASED FROM HIS IMPRISONMENT, HE SHALL TAKE HIS PLACE AT OUR SIDE AND THIS WORLD WILL BE CAST INTO AN AGE OF ETERNAL DARKNESS. ONCE THIS WORLD HAS FALLEN, OTHER WORLDS SHALL FOLLOW. ONE BY ONE, EVERY SINGLE WORLD IN THE UNIVERSE SHALL FALL INTO SHADOW, AND OUR SUPREME MASTER, THE DARK LORD OF THE SHADOWS SHALL RULE FOR ALL ETERNITY! NOTHING WILL STAND IN OUR WAY. NOT EVEN YOU."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos steps forward even more towards Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx, making them back away further.

 **"YOU MAY HAVE ESCAPED US ONCE, BUT NOW IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO MEET YOUR END."** Lord Thanatos says

Without even looking, Lord Thanatos speaks out to Cynder.

 **"CYNDER, SHOW THEM YOUR POWER."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos turns around and walks toward Ignitus and the dark crystal.

 **"I SHALL TEND TO IGNITUS."** Lord Thanatos says

"With pleasure." Cynder says

Cynder walks toward Ducar and Spyro who stood their ground.

"Time you learn how complicated life can be." Cynder says

Without warning, Cynder slams her tail at the two heroes, knocking them over to the side of the tower.

"Run, Spyro! Run, Ducar! Save yourselves!" Ignitus says

"Not this time! This time, we fight!" Spyro says

"Ha ha ha ha ha... Bring it!" Cynder says

Ducar drew his Keyblade to his right-side and held it with both hands, getting into battle stance. Spyro reared back and got into battle stance alongside Ducar. Together, the two heroes prepared for their first battle against Cynder. Before the battle even began, Ducar and Spyro could have sworn they saw something in Cynder's eyes. Nevertheless, they focused back on the battle at hand.

While Cynder dealt with the heroes, Lord Thanatos looks up at Ignitus.

 **"HOW DOES IT FEEL, IGNITUS? TO HAVE ALL OF YOUR ENERGY STRIPPED AWAY FROM YOU, LEAVING YOU WEAK AND FRAIL LIKE THE OLD DRAGON YOU ARE. YOU HAVE HIDDEN FROM US FOR SO LONG. BUT NOW, YOU ARE TRAPPED. AND YOUR POWER IS OURS!"** Lord Thanatos says

Cynder strikes first by swinging her tail at Ducar and Spyro. Ducar flips over Cynder's tail with a cartwheel while Spyro simply jumps over it. Then, Cynder swipes her right-claw at Ducar, but he backflips away from her, making the black dragoness miss.

Ducar leaps toward Cynder with his Keyblade raised over his right-shoulder and he brings it down on her, landing a direct hit at the dragoness' chest. Ducar follows up with an uppercut, a left slash, a right slash, another uppercut, and a downward slash. He then hits Cynder with a spinning slash that strikes her six times.

Spyro uses his Fire Breath, launching four fireballs from his mouth at Cynder. Each of the fireballs land a direct hit at Cynder's chest. Next, Spyro uses his Ice Breath, shooting multiple ice shards from his mouth at Cynder. However, the large black dragoness uses her wings to protect herself against the ice shards, making them deflect off her wings. Then, Spyro uses his Electric Breath, launching volts of electricity from his mouth toward Cynder. The volts hit Cynder landing a hit on her chest, electrocuting her slightly, but not too much. The black dragoness manages to shake off the electricity while Spyro continues to attack. Spyro uses his Earth Breath, shooting five green energy blasts at Cynder. The blasts land a hit on Cynder's chest, making her stagger back slightly.

Cynder rises up on her hind legs and tries to stomp down on Spyro, but the purple dragon jumps back, making the black dragoness miss. Then, Cynder tries to whack Spyro with her right-wing, but again the purple dragon ducks down, dodging the attack.

Cynder rises up on her hind legs and she swings her head around to knock Spyro away, but Ducar rushes at the black dragoness with his Keyblade. He leaps up and kicks his feet into Cynder's chest, making her stagger back on her hind legs. Ducar jumps off Cynder's chest, performing a backflip and he slides back toward Spyro.

As quickly as it began, the battle ended shortly.

"It's so sad it must end this way." Cynder says

Ducar and Spyro jump toward Cynder for an attack, but the large black dragoness knocks them both back with her tail. The two heroes were sent sliding across the floor toward the otherside of the tower. Spyro fell on his right-side while Ducar slammed into one of the tower columns on his back, then fell flat on his stomach.

"Gnh!" Ducar grunts wincing in pain

While Cynder had kept the heroes busy, Lord Thanatos looks upon the dark crystal which had now completely drained Ignitus of his elemental energy.

 **"IT IS DONE."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos motions his right-hand toward the crystal. The crystal levitates in the air and shrinks. The crystal floats into Lord Thanatos' hand. Ignitus falls to the floor weakened.

 **"COME, CYNDER. LET US LEAVE THESE MORTALS TO ROT. YOUR MASTER AWAITS."** Lord Thanatos says

"Yes. Let's." Cynder says

Lord Thanatos jumps onto Cynder's back. Cynder takes off and bursts out of the glass roof overhead.

"Don't they ever use doors?" Sparx asks

Ignitus weakly walks over to Ducar and Spyro who were now up on their feet.

"There was something in her eyes, Ignitus. Something familiar." Spyro says

"Yes. I saw it too. When I looked into her eyes, I saw that there was innocence in Cynder's eyes." Ducar says

"There should be. You see, Spyro, you and Cynder share more than you know. It's time I told you the truth... all of it." Ignitus says

( _Flashback_ )

As he told Ducar and Spyro the truth, he recalls the night the Dragon Temple was raided.

 _"You see, after I took your egg to the Silver River, I returned to the Grotto to find utter chaos." Ignitus says_

When Ignitus returned to the Dragon Temple, the chamber where the dragon eggs were kept was overrun by apes. The other Dragon Guardians, Cyril, Volteer, and Terrador were all knocked unconscious and smashed egg shells littered the floor.

 _"The other Guardians had been overrun and all the other eggs had been smashed by the Dark Master's Forces."_ Ignitus says

Ignitus looked toward the otherside of the room where the nest was built and saw that there was one egg left still intact, a black egg.

 _"All except one."_ Ignitus says

Ignitus then saw a hooded figure wrapped in a dark black cloak approach the egg. The apes who was in the room bowed before their supreme commander as he passed them to claim his prize. This figure was none other than Lord Thanatos himself who looked upon the harmless egg with his glowing red eyes. Lord Thanatos picked up the dragon egg and held it in his right-hand.

 _"You see, the Dark Master was torn. He wanted to destroy all the eggs to prevent the birth of the purple dragon, but he also needed a dragon."_ Ignitus says

Lord Thanatos turned around to leave the chamber with the apes, but Ignitus leapt into the room and stood in his path. The apes moved to deal with the large dragon, but Lord Thanatos held his left-hand out, stopping them. Lord Thanatos stretches his free hand out toward Ignitus and he ensnares the large dragon with telekinetic force. Ignitus soon found himself caught within Lord Thanatos' grasp with a dark blue aura wrapping his entire body. Turning his hand under, Lord Thanatos raises his hand up, lifting Ignitus into the air. Ignitus flailed his arms, legs, wings, and tail to try and free himself, but to no avail. With a wave of his hand, Lord Thanatos hurled Ignitus toward the left-side of the room, making him crash into the wall. Then, he threw Ignitus toward the right-side of the room, making him crash into another wall. Finally, Lord Thanatos brought Ignitus infront of him and raised his hand upward, making Ignitus crash onto the ceiling on his back before lowering his hand, dropping the large dragon onto the ground. With Ignitus unconscious, Lord Thanatos took his leave of the Dragon Temple with the apes following his lead.

( _Present time_ )

"Why would he need a dragon?" Ducar asks

"Because, Ducar, only one born in the Year of the Dragon could open the portal that served as the Dark Master's Prison." Ignitus says

"Cynder?" Spyro asks

"I'm afraid so." Ignitus says

"But if we come from the same place, why is she so, so?" Spyro asks

"Evil? Monstrous? Big? Sexy? Oops, did I just say that?" Sparx says

"Because, Spyro, after the night of the raid, she was corrupted by the Dark Master's poisonous powers, twisted by his evil lore. She's become the Dark Master's Monster." Ignitus says

"But why? What does this Dark Master want?" Spyro asks

"He wants to be freed from the portal of Convexity to wreak havoc across the realms. And if Cynder and Lord Thanatos gets there, he just may succeed." Ignitus says

Suddenly, a large portal of darkness opens in the dark sky which catches everyone's attention.

"I'm afraid we might be too late." Ignitus says

"No. I refuse to give up. I'm going to stop Cynder, Lord Thanatos, and the Dark Master." Spyro says

"Wait you, you heard the dragon, Spyro. He said, too late. We'll get 'em next time. C'mon, champ, you did a great job and let's... let's take five." Sparx says

"No! I'm ready now!" Spyro says

"Spyro's right. It's never too late. There's still a chance we can stop Cynder and Lord Thanatos." Ducar says

"Okay, okay, you're right. You at least have to try. If the Dark Master escapes, a shadow will fall over the land, and who knows what will happen then. Be very careful. Both of you. From what I have seen, Lord Thanatos could be beyond anything even Cynder and Dark Master. Should you both defeat Cynder, you will most likely have to face him next." Ignitus says

Ducar and Spyro both nod understanding what they must do. Ducar presses on his left-pauldron with his right-hand and a bright light envelopes his body as he switches into his Keyblade Armor. The light soon dims down and Ducar was now in his Keyblade Armor. Ducar throws his Keyblade into the air with a vertical underhand toss. The Keyblade transforms into Ducar's Keyblade Glider and it flies down to the side of the tower. Ducar jumps onto his Keyblade Glider and takes off into the air followed by Spyro and Sparx.

"May the ancestors look after you. May they look after us all." Ignitus says

Ducar, Spyro, and Sparx fly into the portal and they set out to stop Cynder and Lord Thanatos from freeing the Dark Master before he could cast the Dragon Realms into shadow.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Ignitus has been saved, but now the crystal was complete. After Ducar and Spyro's short fight with Cynder, Ignitus reveals the truth about Cynder. So now, Ducar and Spyro have to stop Cynder and Lord Thanatos before they release the Dark Master from his imprisonment. The ultimate battle between Ducar, Spyro, Cynder, and Lord Thanatos is at hand. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	8. Showdown in the World of Convexity

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The World of Convexity_ )

Ducar and Spyro were now flying through the portal that would bring them to the World of Convexity where both Lord Thanatos and Cynder intended to free the Dark Master from his eternal prison. As Ducar and Spyro headed through the portal, Ducar heard a dark, evil, demonic voice calling his name.

 _ **"DuCaR... DuCaR..."**_

Ducar never heard a dark voice like this before. He wasn't sure if it was the Dark Master whom Ignitus spoke of. The dark voice seemed to be far more sinister and far more evil. Soon, Ducar and Spyro exit the portal and sure enough, they were in the world of Convexity. As they flew across the endless iridescent void, the two heroes both heard Ignitus' voice speaking to them.

 _"Convexity acts as an airlock between dimensions our world and the Dark Realms beyond. You must stop Cynder and Lord Thanatos before they insert the crystal and activates the portal, freeing the Dark Master."_

Ducar and Spyro land on a floating platform. Ducar jumps off his Keyblade Glider and both his armor and his glider magically disappear in a flash of light. Ducar and Spyro look ahead of them and see an altar of darkness most likely where the Dark Master was imprisoned. Ducar looks down at Spyro and the purple dragon looks back up at him. They both turn their attention back toward the altar in the distance.

At the altar, Lord Thanatos and Cynder approach the altar with the crystal. Lord Thanatos walked up the stairs of the altar with the dark crystal in his hand and reached the top. The crystal levitates out of Lord Thanatos' hand and into the altar.

"My master returns." Cynder says

 **"YES, CYNDER. IT IS TIME. TIME TO RELEASE THE DARK MASTER. WITH HIM AS OUR ALLY, CASTING THE DRAGON REALMS INTO DARKNESS WILL BE ALL TOO EASY."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos began to radiate an aura of darkness with his entire body glowing with a dark blue aura and sparking with dark blue electricity. Lord Thanatos spreads his arms out and raises them to the endless sky.

 **"MALEFOR! DARK MASTER OF THE DARK REALMS! HEAR MY VOICE! I AM LORD THANATOS! YOU WERE CAST INTO THE DARKEST PITS OF YOUR WORLD BY THE ANCIENTS, BUT NOW WITH THE AID OF YOUR LOYAL SERVANT, CYNDER, AND THIS CRYSTAL IMBUED WITH THE GUARDIANS' ELEMENTAL POWERS, I RELEASE YOU FROM YOUR ETERNAL PRISON! RISE, MALEFOR! RISE UP AND TAKE YOUR REVENGE!"** Lord Thanatos says

In that moment, Ducar and Spyro arrive on the scene.

"We're too late." Spyro says

Lord Thanatos lowers his arms and turns around to face the two heroes.

 **"ONCE AGAIN, YOU ARE TOO LATE."** Lord Thanatos says

"Hmph. Persistent little fellas, aren't you." Cynder says turning her attention toward Ducar and Spyro

 **"DESTROY THEM, CYNDER, MY PET. SHOW THEM THE TRUE MEANING OF FEAR."** Lord Thanatos says

"This is where it really ends." Cynder says

"Bring it!" Spyro says

"No mercy this time." Cynder says

Cynder rears back and got into battle stance. Ducar summoned his Keyblade: Vanguard of Honor and got into battle stance. Spyro reared back and got into battle stance. Both sides prepared themselves for a powerful, epic battle.

Cynder attacks first by leaping toward Ducar and Spyro with her claws ready. Ducar and Spyro manage to jump out of the way just before Cynder could smash down on them. Next, Cynder uses her Fear Breath, firing rings of evil red energy, but the two heroes leap out of the way, dodging the attack. Then, Cynder swings her tail at the two heroes, but Ducar flips over Cynder's tail with a cartwheel while Spyro simply jumps over it.

Spyro uses his Fire Breath, launching four fireballs from his mouth at Cynder. Each of the fireballs land a direct hit at Cynder's chest. Then, Spyro unleashes a stream of fire from his mouth upon Cynder, but she counters with her Shadow Breath, unleashing a stream of dark blue fire from her mouth. The two fire breaths clash and the two dragons were now caught in a power struggle. Cynder was strong with using her Shadow Breath, but Spyro managed to stand strong and continued using his Fire Breath. Slowly, Spyro's Fire Breath began to overpower Cynder's Shadow Breath and the flames started to get closer to the black dragoness. Soon enough, the stream of flames blast directly in Cynder's face, making her roar out in pain and shake her head.

Shaking off the fire blast, Cynder rises up on her hind legs and tries to stomp down on Spyro, but the purple dragon jumps back, making the black dragoness miss. Then, Cynder tries to whack Spyro with her tail, but the purple dragon ducks down, dodging the attack.

Cynder turns her attention toward Ducar and began approaching him for an attack. Ducar stood where he was and he held his Keyblade infront of him with his eyes closed. His body began to emit a bright red aura and flames started to engulf both his body and his Keyblade. Cynder moves forward and tries to slam her tail at Ducar. Just as she did, Ducar opened his eyes which briefly had fire burning inside them. Within moments, he crosses his arms, then thrusts them out, causing a burst of fire to explode from his body, making Cynder stagger back.

While her guard was down, Ducar attacks Cynder with four spinning slashes, striking her chest with his flaming Keyblade. Next, Ducar swinged his Keyblade with a right swing, launching four fireballs at the black dragoness. The fireballs hit with direct impact, making Cynder stagger back even further. Then, Ducar throws his flaming Keyblade at Cynder, hitting her chest four times. Finally, Ducar rushes forward with his body cloaked in flames and strikes Cynder with a left-diagonal slash while a revolving ring of fire surrounded him, landing a direct hit at her chest.

Cynder retaliates by swinging her tail at Ducar, but he ducks down, making Cynder's tail swoop overhead and miss. Then, Cynder rises up on her hind legs and tries to stomp down on Ducar, but he jumps away with a backflip, making the black dragoness miss.

Spyro rushes over to Ducar and stands infront of him using his Electric Breath, releasing lightning bolts from his mouth upon Cynder, zapping the black dragoness with volts of electricity. Cynder was electrocuted by the lightning bolts, but she manages to shake it off.

Cynder rises up on her hind legs and she swings her head around to knock Spyro away, but the purple dragon jumps back, making her miss. Then, Cynder uses her Fear Breath, launching rings of fear at Spyro, but the purple dragon leaps away from the attack, jumping to the left.

Changing opponents, Cynder targets Ducar and goes in for another attack. Ducar held his Keyblade infront of him and he closed his eyes. Ducar's body began to emit a bright yellow aura and electricity started to spark on both his body and his Keyblade. Just as Cynder was about to swipe her right-claw at him, Ducar opened his eyes which was sparking with electricity. He then crosses his arms, and thrusts them out, causing a surge of lightning bolts to arc from his body, knocking Cynder back.

While she was caught off guard, Ducar strikes Cynder with four left-and-right slashes, a spinning slash, and a right-diagonal slash, each strike generating dozens of lightning bolts that electrocuted the black dragoness. He then follows up with two spinning slashes, a downward slash followed by a strong uppercut, and finishes with a reverse roundhouse slash. Ducar takes his Keyblade which was now constantly sparking with electricity and holds it infront of him. Then, Ducar started to levitate in mid-air and his eyes began sparking with electricity. Within moments, Ducar points his Keyblade at Cynder and he unleashes a powerful storm of lightning bolts upon her. Cynder was violently electrocuted by the lightning storm, but she manages to shake it off.

Cynder tries to whack Ducar with her right-wing, but he ducks down to the ground, making the black dragoness miss. Then, Cynder tries to bite Ducar with her jaws, but he jumps back, performing a backflip, kicking underneath Cynder's chin in the process, making her stagger back. Ducar lands crouched down on the ground after hitting Cynder. The black dragoness recovers from the blow she recieved and moved toward Ducar to attack him again.

Spyro leaps over Ducar, lending him his support, and uses his Ice Breath, shooting multiple ice shards from his mouth at Cynder. Just like before, the large black dragoness uses her wings to protect herself against the ice shards, making them bounce off her wings. Then, Spyro launches an orb of ice from his mouth, sending it towards Cynder. The ice orb lands a hit on Cynder's head, hitting her forehead, and explodes, covering the black dragoness with snow. Cynder recovers from the attack and she shakes the snow off her body from her head to her tail.

Now directing her attention toward Spyro, Cynder tries to slam her tail down on the purple dragon, but he jumps over to the right, causing the tail of the black dragoness to miss and smash down on the ground. She then tries swiping her right-claw at Spyro, but he jumps back a good feet away from the black dragoness to avoid being hit.

Once again, Cynder directs her gaze toward Ducar and moves to attack him. Ducar stood where he was and held his Keyblade infront of him with his eyes closed. Ducar's body began to emit an icy blue aura and particles of ice emanated from both his body and his Keyblade. Just as Cynder prepared to whack Ducar with her right-wing, Ducar opened his eyes which briefly flashed with an icy blue light. He crosses his arms, then thrusts them out, causing a snowstorm to burst out from his body, blowing Cynder back.

While her guard was down, Ducar charges toward Cynder with his body wrapped in light blue ice crystals which was 'X' shaped, and hits her with a series of charging attacks, zipping back and forth with fast speed, striking her with his Keyblade at least ten times. He then dives down on the black dragoness three times, causing pillars of ice to erupt from beneath her. Next, Ducar leaps up into the air, performing a backflip, and swings his Keyblade, launching multiple ice shards at Cynder. As she did before, the black dragoness uses her wings to shield herself from the ice shards, making them bounce off her wings. As soon Cynder opened her wings, Ducar takes his Keyblade which was wrapped with ice particles and throws it at the black dragoness, hitting her chest four times. Each hit the Keyblade made forced Cynder to stagger back.

Cynder retaliates by using her Shadow Breath, unleashing a large stream of dark blue flames upon Ducar. Ducar raises his Keyblade into the air and creates a barrier of blue light that shields him from Cynder's attack.

Again, Spyro rushes to Ducar's aid using his Earth Breath, shooting five green energy blasts at Cynder. The blasts land a hit on Cynder's chest, making her stagger back slightly. Then, Spyro launches a earth bomb from his mouth, landing a hit at Cynder's chest. The green bomb explodes, making the black dragoness stagger back even more.

Now focusing on Spyro, Cynder tries to whack the purple dragon with her right-wing, but he ducks down, making her miss. Then, Cynder rises up on her hind legs and swings around to ram her head into the purple dragon, but Spyro jumps back to avoid being hit.

Yet again, Cynder targets Ducar and she approaches him for an attack. As he did previous times, Ducar stood where he was, holding his Keyblade infront of him with his eyes closed. Ducar's body began to emit a bright brown aura with rock particles emanating from both his body and his Keyblade. Just as Cynder prepared to strike him with her tail, Ducar opened his eyes which briefly flashed with a brown light. He crosses his arms, then thrusts them out, causing dozens of rock shards to shoot out from his body. Cynder uses her wings to shield herself from the rock shards.

As soon as Cynder opened her wings, Ducar raises his Keyblade over his right-shoulder which made a gold light briefly flash at the tip of the Keyblade. He then swings down on the ground, causing massive boulders wrapped in gold light to rise up from the ground toward Cynder. The black dragoness was struck by the boulders and was forced back.

But Ducar was not finished yet. Ducar leaps high into the air and swings his Keyblade with a downward slash, launching a barrage of meteors at Cynder. Each of the meteors came raining down on Cynder, making her stagger back. Then, Ducar raises his Keyblade into the air with both hands, summoning a large, giant meteor which was bigger than Cynder herself. Ducar swings his Keyblade down and the meteor came crashing down on Cynder, creating a large explosion that knocked the black dragoness down on her left-side.

Just when they thought she was defeated, Cynder rises up and stands on her hind legs. A dark blue aura began to envelope Cynder's entire body, a black light appeared on her chest, and wisps of darkness started to swirl around her. With all the power of darkness surging through her body, the black dragoness crosses her paws, then thrusts them out, causing a dark blue shockwave to explode from her body. Ducar and Spyro both stood their ground and they shielded themselves from the shockwave. Ducar shielded himself using his right-arm while Spyro used his wings.

When they looked ahead of them, Ducar and Spyro both saw Cynder hovering in mid-air. Cynder fired a dark explosive blast toward Spyro and Ducar, but the two heroes jump out of the way, dodging the blast. Upon impact with the ground, the dark blast detonates in a large explosion. Spyro shoots some explosive blasts of his own at Cynder while dodging her attack. Soon enough, Cynder was left weakened and in that moment, Spyro heard Ignitus' voice in his head.

 _"Now, it's time to unleash the true dragon within you."_

In that moment, Spyro levitates in the air, crosses his paws, and began charging with pure energy. When his attack was fully charged, Spyro thrusts his body out and unleashes a powerful blast attack at Cynder, sending multiple purple energy blasts at the black dragoness. The blasts fly around and strike Cynder numerous times. Cynder was overwhelmed by the attack and she falls to the ground defeated.

The battle was finally over... or so it seemed. While Cynder laid down on her left-side, Lord Thanatos walks down the steps of the altar.

 **"IMPRESSIVE. YOU HAVE FOUGHT WELL AGAINST MY PET, CYNDER. BUT NOW YOU WILL ANSWER TO ME."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos looks down at Cynder as she laid down on her side.

 **"CYNDER, YOU HAVE SERVED YOUR PURPOSE WELL. BUT NOW,** **YOUR USEFULNESS HAS ENDED.** **YOUR POWER IS NOW MINE."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos stretches his right-hand toward Cynder. A dark aura began to show on Cynder's body. The darkness leaves her and Cynder returned to her true form: a young dragoness who happened to be the same size and age as Spyro.

"She is just like me." Spyro says

Lord Thanatos absorbs the darkness that had corrupted Cynder into his body, adding it's dark power to his own. Soon, his entire body began to glow with a black aura and spark with dark blue electricity. With all the power of darkness surging through his body, Lord Thanatos spreads his arms out and raises them up toward the sky, causing dark blue lightning bolts to arc out from his body in all directions throughout the World of Convexity.

 **"WITH CYNDER'S POWER IN MY POSSESSION, I SHALL BRING THIS WORLD TO IT'S KNEES."** Lord Thanatos says

Suddenly, the ground began to shake violently. It turns out the World of Convexity was beginning to collapse in on itself and the portal to Malefor's prison began to open, pulling everything towards it, including Ducar, Spyro, Sparx, and Cynder.

"Dudes, we got to get out of here now!" Sparx says

"We can't just leave her behind." Spyro says

"Spyro's right. We've got to save Cynder." Ducar says

"What? Save the beast that's been trying to kill us?" Sparx says

"That wasn't her fault. She was being used by the Dark Master and Lord Thanatos!" Spyro says

Cynder was swept off the ground and was sucked into the portal. Without a moment's hesitation, Ducar jumped up and dived in after Cynder. Seconds pass, but eventually, Ducar jumps out from the portal with Cynder unconscious in his arms, landing infront of Spyro and Sparx. Ducar sets Cynder down gently on the ground and held her down with his hands to avoid having her be sucked into the portal again.

"Spyro! Take Cynder and go! I'll deal with Lord Thanatos!" Ducar says

"No! I won't leave you here!" Spyro says

"I said go! Now!" Ducar shouts

Spyro was hesitant to leave Ducar behind, but he had no choice. The purple dragon obeyed Ducar's command and grabbed Cynder with his claws, heading for the portal with Sparx following close behind. As soon as they made it in, the portal closes leaving Ducar to face Lord Thanatos alone.

 **"SO, YOU ALLOWED YOUR FRIENDS TO ESCAPE WHILE YOU TOIL HERE AND ACCEPT YOUR FATE. HOW VERY BOLD... BUT FOOLISH!"** Lord Thanatos says

In that moment, Lord Thanatos summons his Dark Keyblade: The Harbinger of Shadows in his right-hand and cleaves it down on Ducar. Ducar quickly summons his Keyblade and blocks the attack. He then shoves Lord Thanatos back and jumps away from him.

Ducar took out his red Wayfinder from within his jacket, and held it in his left-hand. He looked down at it and thought toward his wife, Shara hoping she'd be alright. More importantly, he thought toward his son, Devon. If worse comes to show and he would probably die here, Ducar prayed with his heart that his son would be able to live on without him and that he would aspire to become a great Keyblade Wielder like his old man. For Ducar, this would be his greatest sacrifice to his friends: Spyro, Cynder, Sparx, Ignitus, Terrador, Cyril, Volteer, Terra, Ventus, Aqua, his wife, Shara, and his beloved son, Devon. Ducar held his Wayfinder close to his chest and closed his eyes for a brief moment. He then opened his eyes, putting on a serious look on his face. Ducar placed his Wayfinder back within the safety of his jacket.

"I now know of your intentions, Lord Thanatos. You enslave and devour all in your path and you care nothing for the suffering of others. And you use poor individuals like Cynder for your own ruthless ambition. I will not let you harm anyone else. I won't allow it." Ducar says

Ducar looked around as all the debris and floating platforms were being sucked into the portal.

"I know this place is collapsing in on itself. And there's a slim chance I might survive." Ducar says

Ducar looks toward Lord Thanatos with seriousness in his eyes.

"But if I go down, I might as well take you with me!" Ducar says

Ducar held his Keyblade with both hands closely to his right-side as he prepared for his fight against Lord Thanatos. Suddenly, Ducar began to glow with a light blue aura. A blue light appeared on his chest and wisps of light emanated from his body.

 **"SO BE IT."** Lord Thanatos says

With that said, the epic battle between Ducar and Lord Thanatos began.

Lord Thanatos strikes first by thrusting his left-hand forward, casting a powerful storm of dark blue lightning bolts from his fingertips. Ducar held up his Keyblade infront of his face and blocks the attack, sending dark lightning bolts in all directions. The two Keyblade Wielders stood their ground as the world around them began to collapse. They both stared each other down not one blinking an eye. Ducar broke the clash by swinging his Keyblade, knocking the dark lightning bolts away from him. Then, he leapt forward at Lord Thanatos, raising his Keyblade over his head for an overhead strike. Just as he reaches him, Ducar brought his Keyblade down, but Lord Thanatos holds his Dark Keyblade over his head, blocking against the attack.

Ducar and Lord Thanatos were now caught in a blade lock with neither of them backing down. Eventually, the two Keyblade Wielders jump a good feet away from each other. Lord Thanatos swings his Dark Keyblade with a downward slash, launching a dark blue crescent blade of darkness at Ducar. Ducar cuts through the crescent blade with a swipe from his Keyblade, slicing it in half. Then, he swings his Keyblade with a right-slash, launching a blue crescent blade of light at Lord Thanatos who slices it in half with a downward slash from his Dark Keyblade.

Lord Thanatos looks up at some rocky debris that was getting sucked towards the portal. Using his telekinetic powers, he stretches his left-hand out toward the debris, seizing it in his grip. Lord Thanatos then swipes his hand downward, hurling the rocky debris down on Ducar. Ducar looked up and saw the debris falling toward him. Reacting quickly, he jumps and rolls out of the way just as the debris crashes down on the platform.

The two Keyblade Wielders charge toward each other and clash with powerful force. The clash was so strong that it sent a powerful shockwave throughout the World of Convexity. The two Keyblade Wielders soon found themselves levitating in the air.

Lord Thanatos sent a flurry of dark blue colored dark blasts toward Ducar with a swing of his Dark Keyblade. Ducar swung his Keyblade with a right swing and he sent a flurry of blue colored light blasts at Lord Thanatos. The blasts of light and darkness clash with each other, not one hitting it's target. Lord Thanatos crosses his arms, then thrusts them out, generating three dark red crystals in a trigram formation. The three dark crystals project rays that fuse and becomes a giant dark red beam of evil energy. Ducar copies the attack and generates three light blue crystals in a trigram formation. The three light crystals project rays that fuse and becomes a giant beam of pure energy. The two beams of light and darkness clash, pushing each other in an epic power struggle. Lord Thanatos' beam was immensely strong and began pushing it's way toward Ducar. Ducar pushed with all his might and began pushing his beam toward Lord Thanatos. The beam of light overwhelms the beam of darkness and it strikes Lord Thanatos, hitting him at his chest.

With Lord Thanatos left weakened, Ducar strikes him with his Keyblade, swinging with an upward and downward slash, then swings left and right ten times. Next, he spins around like a tornado, striking the Dark Keyblade Master with his Keyblade twenty times. Afterwards, Ducar knocks Lord Thanatos high up into the air with a strong uppercut from his Keyblade, then kicks him even higher. Then, Ducar performs a forward and backward somersault, hitting Lord Thanatos twenty times. Finally, Ducar raises his Keyblade over his right-shoulder which was now glowing brightly with blue light and hurls himself toward Lord Thanatos, finishing the epic battle with a loud battle cry.

"Gyaaaaahhhhh!" Ducar shouts as he brought his Keyblade down on Lord Thanatos

Lord Thanatos was struck directly in the chest and both he and Ducar were sent flying down into the endless abyss. Soon, the World of Convexity collapses in on itself and explodes in a massive supernova, decimating everything in it's path. Ducar and Lord Thanatos were caught in the massive, immense explosion, and the both were knocked unconscious by the force of the blast. Nothing remained after that. Ducar and Lord Thanatos were nowhere to be seen.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Spyro flew through the portal holding on to Cynder while Sparx followed close behind. Eventually, the trio made it out of the portal and crash land in a forest.

"Mommy? Fluff my pillow?" Sparx says feeling dizzy

Sparx soon fell unconscious with Spyro.

( _The Dragon Temple_ )

Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx were soon found by the Dragon Guardians and they stood outside the Dragon Temple on the balcony with Ignitus, Terrador, Cyril, and Volteer.

"Feeling better, Spyro?" Ignitus asks

"Not really, Ignitus. That battle drained every last bit of my strength. I can hardly even lift my head." Spyro says

"Yes. It will take some time for your powers to return. But they will in time, young dragon. They will in time." Ignitus says

Ignitus turns his attention to Cynder.

"Cynder, ever since I failed the night of the raid, I've dreamed of this day." Ignitus says

"It wasn't just you, Ignitus. We all failed." Volteer says

"Be that as it may, we're together again. Thanks to Spyro. Well done, young dragon." Ignitus says

"It wasn't just me, Ignitus. It was thanks to Ducar that we're together again. But we still don't know what's happened to Lord Thanatos, or the Dark Master." Spyro says

"No matter, Spyro. There will be time to talk of the Dark Master and Lord Thanatos later. Now, it's time to be grateful of your success and Ducar's." Terrador says

"Speaking of which, what happened to Ducar?" Ignitus asks

Spyro remained silent, but soon answered Ignitus' question.

"He... He sacrificed himself to save us. He stayed to fight Lord Thanatos and gave me, Cynder, and Sparx a chance to escape. I wish I could've stayed and fought with him." Spyro says

"I see. Ducar was a true warrior. He gave us all courage and hope. And for that, we shall never forget his bravery." Ignitus says

"He even jumped in after Cynder when she got sucked into the portal. He saved her." Spyro says looking over at Cynder

"Did he now?" Ignitus asks

"Yes. He did." Spyro says looking back at Ignitus

"Then, we all owe Ducar our eternal gratitude. Ducar had shown that he is a true Keyblade Wielder. He had the makings of a true hero." Ignitus says

"I just hope he's alright." Spyro says

"I'm sure he is, Spyro. I'm sure he is." Ignitus says

( _Moments later_ )

Spyro walked out onto the balcony outside the Dragon Temple and looked up toward the stars. He wondered if Ducar was alright, but he also wondered if the Dark Master had escaped from his prison. The young black dragoness, Cynder walks up to Spyro and joins him on the balcony.

"See anything, Spyro?" Cynder asks

"No, but I've got a bad feeling." Spyro says

"Me too. The warrior you spoke of. His name was Ducar, right?" Cynder says

"Yeah." Spyro says

"I wish I could have met him. I never got to thank him for saving my life." Cynder says

The two young dragons continued to look up into the stars, wondering if they would ever see Ducar again.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Spyro and Sparx have escaped the World of Convexity and returned to the Dragon Temple with Cynder back to normal. But what happened to Ducar? Is he still alive? And if he is, will he be able to continue his journey? And will he ever conquer the darkness inside him? Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	9. Reunion at the Dragon Temple

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _Elsewhere_ )

Ducar found himself falling unconsciously straight down into the darkness. The battle between him and Lord Thanatos had almost used up all of his energy. He had only just started his journey and already he had fought an epic, powerful battle with Lord Thanatos. Another Keyblade Wielder. One that was far more powerful than anything he had ever seen in his life.

 _"Lord Thanatos. A Keyblade Wielder of Darkness. His power was unbelievable. It was almost hard to comprehend. How can someone like him possess that kind of power?"_ Ducar asks himself in his mind

As he thought more about Lord Thanatos, a horrifying thought came into his mind. What if Lord Thanatos could become even more powerful? Would he be able to stand against him then? And yet another terrifying thought popped into Ducar's mind. What would he do if Lord Thanatos went after his friends: Terra, Ventus, and Aqua? Or worse, what would happen if he went for his wife, Shara, and more importantly his son? With all these things going through his mind, Ducar was already starting to lose it. His fears started growing and growing with each horrifying thought that crossed his mind.

Suddenly, a blue light shined through the darkness and Ducar felt it's warmth embrace him. Feeling the warmth of the light completely washed away the fear that had overwhelmed him, replacing it with calm feelings that soothed his soul.

 _"This light. It feels so warm. But... it feels familiar somehow."_ Ducar says

The light soon got larger and it engulfed Ducar, bringing him back into the Realm of Light.

( _The Dragon Realms_ )

Spyro and Cynder were still on the balcony outside the Dragon Temple looking up at the stars. Suddenly, the two dragons saw a bright blue shooting star soar across the sky.

"Spyro, what's that?" Cynder asks

"I don't know." Spyro says

Suddenly, the shooting star turned and headed straight for Spyro and Cynder.

"It's heading straight for us! Run!" Spyro says

Spyro and Cynder ran to a safe distance to avoid being hit by the shooting star. The shooting star soon crashed down on the balcony where Spyro and Cynder once stood. The two dragons looked ahead of them and they were surprised that the shooting star didn't leave a large crater in the ground. But what they saw really surprised them. The two dragons both saw Ducar lying unconscious flat down on his stomach on the ground.

"Ducar!" Spyro exclaims

Spyro and Cynder rush over to Ducar's unconscious body and flip him over with their paws so that he was lying on his back. Cynder kinda blushed a little when she saw Ducar with her own eyes. Never before had she seen anyone as handsome as Ducar. Spyro placed his paw on Ducar's chest and was relieved to feel his heartbeat, but it was slow.

"He's alive! Cynder, stay here with Ducar. I'm gonna get the Guardians." Spyro says

With that said, Spyro rushed into the Dragon Temple to fetch the Dragon Guardians while Cynder stayed with Ducar looking after him.

"So, you're Ducar. The one who saved my life. I can't thank you enough." Cynder says

Cynder places her paw on Ducar's chest feeling his gentle heartbeat and his gentle breathing. Suddenly, the black dragoness felt another presence in Ducar's heart and she saw the images of two people. Cynder saw a beautiful woman, Shara, and she also saw a cheerful young boy, Devon. After seeing those two people in her vision, Cynder looked back down at Ducar as he laid peacefully on his back.

"What was that?" Cynder asks herself

Soon, Spyro arrived with Sparx, Ignitus, Terrador, Cyril, and Volteer.

"By our ancestors, Ducar still lives!" Ignitus gasps

"How is this possible?" Terrador asks

"Cynder, how's he doing?" Spyro asks

"He's alright. He hasn't woken up yet, but he's alright." Cynder says looking at Spyro

Cynder looked back down at Ducar with a look of concern in her eyes. Spyro looked at Cynder and saw the concern on her face.

"Cynder, what is it?" Spyro asks

"As soon as you left, Spyro, I placed my paw on Ducar's chest and I had a vision." Cynder says

"What did you see?" Spyro asks

"I saw a vision of two people: A woman and a child. I think they're related to Ducar." Cynder says

Spyro thinks over what Cynder said about this woman and child.

( _Flashback_ )

The purple dragon soon remembers back when he, Sparx, and Ignitus looked into Ducar's memories through the Pool of Visions. He remembered seeing Ducar's friends: Terra, Ventus, and Aqua. Then, there was Shara, the beautiful woman, and Devon, the cheerful, young boy.

 _"Those people in the vision. They're your friends?"_ _Spyro asks_

 _"Yeah. That was Terra, Ventus, Aqua, my wife, Shara, and my son, Devon."_ _Ducar says_

( _Present time_ )

"That's right. I remember now. Back when we first met him, Ducar mentioned that he had a wife and a son." Spyro says

"He has a family." Cynder says

Suddenly, Ducar began to twitch and he started to regain consciousness. Slowly, he opened his eyes. As he did, he slowly sat upright and looked around to see Spyro, Cynder, Sparx, Ignitus, Terrador, Cyril, and Volteer all smiling down upon him. Ducar especially turned his attention toward Cynder.

"Cynder..." Ducar says

"Ducar, thank you so much." Cynder says

With that said, Cynder wraps her paws around Ducar and she hugs him. Ducar smiles and he hugs the black dragoness back, gently placing his arms around her.

"Ducar, what happened? We all thought you were dead." Spyro says

"Yeah. We thought you would be a goner since we left you back there." Sparx says

"For a minute there, I almost was. But before I faded into darkness, I felt a warm light embrace me. And then I found myself here." Ducar says

"What happened to Lord Thanatos? Did you defeat him?" Spyro asks

"I think so. But now that I think about, something has crossed into my mind." Ducar says

Ducar thought back to when he and Lord Thanatos fought on Munitions Forge.

( _Flashback_ )

He remembers when Lord Thanatos had him caught in his grip, telling him to use the power of darkness.

 _ **"YOUR HEART HOLDS A POWERFUL DARKNESS INSIDE YOU, DUCAR. IT LURKS DEEP WITHIN YOU, WAITING TO BE UNLEAHSED. EMBRACE IT'S POWER. LET IT GIVE YOU STRENGTH. ONLY THROUGH THE POWER OF DARKNESS WILL YOU HAVE THE STRENGTH TO DEFEAT ME."** Lord Thanatos says_

 _"Never!"_ _Ducar yells_

( _Present time_ )

Ducar gasped in shock when he remembered something.

"Ducar? What is it?" Spyro asks

"Spyro, remember when you and me fought Lord Thanatos at Munitions Forge?" Ducar asks

"Yeah. Why? What do you remember?" Spyro asks

Ducar thought back to his battle with Lord Thanatos at Munitions Forge.

( _Flashback_ )

 _ **"IF YOU WILL NOT SUBMIT TO THE DARKNESS INSIDE YOU, THEN YOU CAN WATCH THE PURPLE DRAGON DIE!"**_ _Lord Thanatos says_

Ducar remembered watching Lord Thanatos torture Spyro right infront of him, electrocuting him with a blast of dark lightning.

 _"Aaah!"_ _Spyro screams in pain_

 _"No!"_ _Ducar screams in horror_

Ducar looks at Lord Thanatos with an angry look full of pure rage.

 _"Stop it... Leave him alone... Stop it!"_ _Ducar says raising his voice_

Ducar remembered when he got really angry and that his body began radiating an aura of darkness.

 _"I...said...stop!"_ _Ducar shouts_

In the flashback, Ducar flies straight toward Lord Thanatos with his Keyblade raised over his right-shoulder, screaming at the top of his lungs.

 _"Rrraaaaaaaaaahhh!"_ _Ducar screams out in rage_

Just as Ducar struck Lord Thanatos with his Keyblade, another flashback showed him down on one knee with Spyro and Sparx being right next to him on his left-side.

 _"Ducar, what was that? Are you alright?"_ _Spyro asks_

Ducar looks up at Spyro.

 _"What happened? What did I do?"_ _Ducar asks_

 _"You kicked Lord Thanatos' butt. That's what you did."_ _Sparx says_

Ducar looked infront of him and saw Lord Thanatos lying on the ground. He then looked at his right-hand.

( _Present time_ )

Ducar looked down at his right-hand just as he did back then.

"I remember. I couldn't defeat Lord Thanatos that time because he was too strong. Too powerful. But when I saw Lord Thanatos torture Spyro, I was overcome by anger and hatred." Ducar says

Ducar grips his right-hand, then looks down on the ground.

"I succumbed to the darkness in my heart. Now, I can never return home. I'm a failure." Ducar says

Spyro, Cynder, Sparx, Ignitus, Terrador, Cyril, and Volteer all felt bad for Ducar.

"Well, what matters now is that we're all glad that you are safe and to have you back in our home." Ignitus says

"Home." Ducar says

Ducar thought toward his wife, Shara and his son, Devon. Spyro, Cynder, and Ignitus could pretty much tell what was going through his mind by the look on his face.

"You care about them, do you?" Ignitus asks

"What do you mean, Ignitus?" Ducar asks looking up at the large dragon

"You're family." Cynder asks

"How do you know?" Ducar asks looking left at Cynder

"When Spyro went to go get the Guardians, I saw a vision of your wife and child." Cynder says

"Shara is my wife's name. She's the love of my life. And Devon is my son. He's the one thing that is most precious to me. Both me and my wife. They are two of the most important people I care deeply about in my life." Ducar says

"Do not despair, Ducar. I'm sure you'll be able to see your family again." Ignitus says

"And I'm sure you'll free yourself from the darkness inside you, just like how you and Spyro both freed me." Cynder says

"We believe in you, Ducar. We all do." Spyro says

"Aw, c'mon, guys. You're all starting to make me wanna cry." Sparx says rubbing a tear from his eye

Ducar felt some comfort in his heart, seeing that Spyro, Cynder, and Ignitus had faith in him.

"Thank you, Spyro, Cynder, Ignitus. That truly means alot." Ducar says

Ducar rises to his feet and looks at the six dragons and dragonfly.

"I'm glad I was able to see you all again. And I was more than happy to be of some help to each and every one of you. But now I have my own journey to complete." Ducar says

Ducar turns around and looks up toward the stars that glittered in the night sky.

"Other worlds are out there, crying out for aid. And it is my sworn duty as a Keyblade Wielder to answer their call." Ducar says

Ducar then looks down at his chest, placing his right-hand over his heart.

"So you're right. Even if there is darkness in my heart, I cannot despair. I know that somehow, someway, I'll be able to conquer the darkness inside me and become a true Keyblade Master." Ducar says

Ducar turns around and looks back at the six dragons and dragonfly.

"Thank you. All of you." Ducar says

"On the contrary, Ducar, it is us who should be thanking you. You helped us in our greatest time of need. You helped Spyro save not only the Guardians, but Cynder as well. We are forever in your debt." Ignitus says

Ducar nods in acknowledgement.

"I wish we could go with you. To see what's really out there." Spyro says

"I wish that too." Cynder says

Ducar kneels down to Spyro and Cynder.

"I would do anything to take you both with me, but this journey is one that I must go alone. I'm sure you understand." Ducar says

Spyro and Cynder look toward each other, then they look back at Ducar and nod.

"Alright. Be careful, Ducar." Spyro says

"We'll never forget you." Cynder says

"Don't you be forgetting about us and your good buddy, Sparx. Ya hear?" Sparx says

"I won't." Ducar says

Ducar smiles and he rises up on his feet.

"Farewell, I'll be sure to tell my son all about you. About all of you." Ducar says

Ducar turns around and takes a few steps forward. He soon stops and presses on his left-pauldron with his right-hand, causing a bright light to envelope his body, illuminating the entire area. The six dragons and dragonfly shield themselves from the blinding light. When the light dims down, Ducar was in his Keyblade Armor and everyone looks at him in amazement.

Ducar take his Keyblades in both hands and he raises it to the sky. Ducar's Keyblade shoot a blue beam of light upward into the sky, opening a blue portal of light. Ducar throws his Keyblade into the air with a vertical underhand toss. The Keyblade transforms into Ducar's Keyblade Glider and it flies down to the side of the balcony. Ducar jumps off from the balcony and he lands on his Keyblade Glider. He looks toward Spyro, Cynder, Sparx, and the four Dragon Guardians and gives them a two-fingered salute with his right-hand. The six dragons and dragonfly wave good-bye to Ducar.

Having said farewell, Ducar takes off into the night sky, continuing his journey while his new friends down below watch him go. Friends who would never forget all that he has done for them and would forever remember him as a hero.

"May the ancestors look after you, Ducar. May they look after you and your family." Ignitus says

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Ducar is still alive and he reunites with Spyro, Cynder, Sparx, Ignitus, Terrador, Cyril, and Volteer at the Dragon Temple. During their reunion, they all learn more about Ducar. They learn that he has a family and that he is a father to a very special young boy. Ducar realizes that he had succumbed to the darkness in his heart and has fallen into despair. Spyro, Cynder, Sparx, and the Dragon Guardians all try to cheer Ducar up. Ducar soon realizes that he must not give into despair and that he must move onward with his quest. And so, Ducar finishes his adventure in the Dragon Realms and continues his own journey to fight the forces of darkness. Spyro, Cynder, Sparx, Ignitus, Terrador, Cyril, and Volteer would never forget Ducar and he would never forget them. They are now a part of each other. So, who's next? Who's turn is it to start their journey? Well, you'll just have to wait and see. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	10. The Eternal Night of Darkness

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _Dragon Temple_ )

Weeks have passed since Ducar visited the Dragon Realm and helped save the world from the evil Lord Thanatos. Inside the Dragon Temple, Spyro, Sparx, Ignitus, Terrador, Cyril, and Volteer were all asleep. Everyone except Cynder. The black dragoness still felt guilty for all the things she had done under the Dark Master's control, not to mention Lord Thanatos, and she felt that her destiny was somewhere out in the world for her find. Unable to get any sleep, Cynder got up and sneaked out into the temple gardens. However, she did not see Sparx watching her leave. As soon as she was gone, Sparx left to go find Spyro.

Spyro was sound asleep outside the Dragon Temple, resting on the balcony where the stars dazzled the night sky with it's mystical light show. As he slept, Spyro began having a dream.

( _Spyro's dream_ )

In his dream, Spyro saw a large mountain towering over him. He then saw a colossal purple column of darkness beam down into a large opening at the top of the mountain.

 _"My master returns."_

 _"We're too late!"_

 _ **"DESTROY THEM, CYNDER, MY PET. SHOW THEM THE TRUE MEANING OF FEAR."**_

Spyro soon found himself in the World of Convexity with Sparx and Ducar as they faced off against Cynder who was back to being a large, evil dragoness.

The purple dragon began levitating in the air and crosses his paws, charging with purple energy. When his attack was fully charged, Spyro thrusts his body out and unleashes a powerful fury attack at Cynder, sending multiple shockwaves throughout the endless void. Cynder fell onto the ground flat on her stomach and was defeated.

 _"She is just like me."_ Spyro says

While Cynder laid down on the ground, Lord Thanatos walks down the steps of the altar.

 _ **"IMPRESSIVE. YOU HAVE FOUGHT WELL AGAINST MY PET, CYNDER. BUT NOW YOU WILL ANSWER TO ME."**_ Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos stretches his right-hand toward Cynder and absorbs the darkness that had once corrupted Cynder into his body, adding it's dark power to his own. Soon, his entire body began to glow with a dark blue aura and spark with dark blue electricity.

 _ **"WITH CYNDER'S POWER IN MY POSSESSION, I SHALL BRING THIS WORLD TO IT'S KNEES."**_ Lord Thanatos says

With all the power of darkness surging through his body, Lord Thanatos spreads his arms out and raises them up toward the sky, causing dark blue lightning bolts to arc out from his body in all directions throughout the World of Convexity. Then, the portal to Malefor's prison began to open, pulling everything towards it, including Ducar, Spyro, Sparx, and Cynder.

 _"Dudes, we've got to get out of here... now!"_ Sparx says

 _"We can't just leave her behind."_ Spyro says

 _"Spyro's right. We've got to save Cynder."_ Ducar says

 _"What? Save the beast that's been trying to kill us?"_ Sparx asks

 _"That wasn't her fault. She was being used by the Dark Master and Lord Thanatos!"_ Spyro says

Spyro watched as Cynder was swept off the ground and sucked into the portal. The purple dragon then watched Ducar run at full speed toward the portal and dive in after Cynder. Soon after, Ducar jumps out from the portal with Cynder unconscious in his arms, landing infront of Spyro and Sparx. Ducar sets Cynder down gently on the ground and held her down with his hands to avoid having her be sucked into the portal again.

 _"Spyro! Take Cynder and go! I'll deal with Lord Thanatos!"_ Ducar says

 _"No! I won't leave you here!"_ Spyro says

 _"I said go! Now!"_ Ducar shouts

Spyro was hesitant to leave Ducar behind, but he soon grabbed Cynder with his claws and flew away with Sparx following close behind. As he flew away, the purple dragon looked back to see Ducar fighting Lord Thanatos with his Keyblade. Then, Spyro heard a dark voice calling out his name. What he heard was the same exact voice that Ducar heard on their way toward the World of Convexity.

 _ **"S-S-S-SpYrO... S-S-S-SpYrO..."**_

Spyro was a bit concerned when he heard the voice calling out his name. However, he could not tell if it was the Dark Master's voice or whether it belonged to someone much worse.

( _The Dragon Temple_ )

"S-s-s-Spyro.." A voice calls

Spyro opened his eyes upon hearing another voice calling him. The purple dragon looked infront of him and saw Sparx hovering infront of him.

"Hey, Spyro! Some night, huh? Beautiful." Sparx says

"What is it you want, Sparx?" Spyro asks

"Huh. Why do I want to want something? I'm just ready to begin the best day ever since that evil-psycho-she-dragon is gone." Sparx says

"What!? Cynder? What do you mean, Sparx?" Spyro asks

"Whoa! Calm down, big fella. Gosh, you're awfully tense. Hmm, haven't been sleeping much? You should listen to Volteer tell one of his stories. That'll put anyone to sleep." Sparx says

"Sparx... What happened?" Spyro asks

"Okay, you ready?" Sparx says

Sparx began telling Spyro about what happened just minutes ago.

"I got up to get some fresh air since I don't sleep much myself these days with ah... the female-of-fright hanging about, low and behold... there she was, sneaking out into the garden. Oooohhh. She gives me the creeps, dude. Hear my teeth." Sparx says

Sparx began chattering his teeth.

"Come on. We have to find her. It's dangerous for her to be outside the temple at night." Spyro says

Spyro began making his way toward the Dragon Temple to find Cynder, but Sparx flew up infront of him, making the purple dragon stop.

"It's dangerous for any of us to be outside at night. Besides, Ignitus said you have to wait 'til your powers return..." Sparx says

Sparx then whispers.

"Cause you're weak..." Sparx whispers with a snicker

"No time to argue. Come on." Spyro says

Spyro headed into the Dragon Temple while Sparx watched him go.

"Ah, you'd be helpless without me. I better come with you." Sparx says with a cough

With that said, Sparx began following Spyro into the Dragon Temple. The two soon came into a large chamber where all four of the Dragon Guardians were sleeping. Each of the large dragons were snoring rather loudly.

"Quiet. We mustn't wake them." Spyro whispers

"What?! I can't hear you over all this loud snoring!" Sparx shouts

Spyro quietly tip-toed past Terrador first, then Cyril, then Volteer, and then made it past Ignitus who was actually sleeping more quietly than the other three dragons. Once they made it past the Dragon Guardians, Spyro and Sparx began heading toward the gardens.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Cynder was out in the gardens just outside the Dragon Temple. As Cynder traversed through the swampy, jungle terrain, she stopped, looked back at the Dragon Temple one last time for a few seconds, then continued on with her journey of self-discovery. Suddenly, a group of Flood Unversed emerged from the shadows and surrounded the black dragoness.

Not far from where Cynder was, a blue portal of light opened up and out stepped Shara in her Keyblade Armor. The portal of light closes and Shara's Keyblade Armor magically disappears in a flash of light. Shara looks around her surroundings and found herself in the jungle outside the Dragon Temple. She soon saw something up ahead and ventured forth to investigate. She was both amazed and shocked by what she saw. She saw a black dragoness surrounded by Unversed.

"Unversed!" Shara exclaims

One of the Flood Unversed jumps toward Cynder for an attack. Shara summoned her Keyblade: Faithful Salvation in her right-hand in a flash of light and jumped toward the Unversed, leaping over the black dragoness. With one fluid strike, Shara struck down the Unversed with a jumping attack. Shara lands infront of Cynder, protecting her from the Unversed.

"Stay back! Let me handle this." Shara says looking back at Cynder

Shara drew her Keyblade to her right-side and held it with both hands as she prepared to fight against the Unversed. Cynder notices Shara's Keyblade in her hands and her eyes widened with surprise.

"A Keyblade! She's a Keyblade Wielder! Just like Ducar!" Cynder gasps

One Flood leaps toward Shara with it's claws ready, but she jumps into the air and casts down the Unversed with a downward slash. Two more Flood try to attack Shara at the same time, but Shara jumps into the air and spins around, swinging her Keyblade at both of the Unversed, taking them both out with a single slash. More Unversed emerge from the shadows and surround Shara. Shara takes her Keyblade in both her hands, holds it infront of her face, then raises it into the air, summoning a large pillar of blue light that shines down on her, creating a wide shockwave that knocks away the Unversed, destroying them in the process.

After all the Unversed were defeated, Cynder approaches Shara.

"That was amazing. Thank you for saving me." Cynder says

"No trouble at all. My name is Shara."

"It's nice to meet you, Shara. I'm Cynder."

"Cynder, what were you doing out here by yourself?" Shara asks

"I was leaving the Dragon Temple to find my place in the world." Cynder says

Cynder looks down at the ground shamefully.

"I don't belong here. Not after what I have done." Cynder says

"From what I hear, you must have had a troubled past." Shara says

"I did." Cynder says

"I'm sorry to hear that, Cynder." Shara says

Shara kneels down to Cynder and places her right-hand on her left-shoulder.

"But you have my full support." Shara says

Cynder looks up at Shara with a slight smile forming on her face.

"Thanks, Shara." Cynder says

"Cynder, might I ask you something?" Shara asks

"Sure. What is it?" Cynder says

"You wouldn't happen to know a boy named Ventus or two men named Terra or Ducar, would you?" Shara asks

"No. I haven't heard anyone named Ventus or Terra. But I do know about a brave warrior named Ducar." Cynder says

Shara was surprised when she heard Cynder mention Ducar.

"Really? That's great. But how do you know about Ducar?" Shara asks

"He helped save me." Cynder says

"Do you know where he is now?" Shara asks

"No. I don't. Last I saw him was weeks ago." Cynder says

"Oh. I see. I must have just missed him." Shara says

"You wouldn't happen to be Ducar's wife, would you?" Cynder asks

"Yes, I am. Did he tell you about me?" Shara asks

"Yep. Ducar told me all about you and your son, Devon. But he seemed really sad. He said that he succumbed to the darkness in his heart. I can almost imagine how he feels." Cynder says

Shara was shocked to hear that Ducar had succumbed to the darkness inside him.

"No." Shara gasps

"Before he left, he said he had his own journey to complete. I'm sure he went off looking for you." Cynder says

Shara nods in understanding, then she stood silently as she prayed for Ducar to remain strong.

 _"Ducar, please stay strong for me. And for your son."_ Shara thought to herself

"So, Shara, you're a Keyblade Wielder too?" Cynder asks

"Yes. But how do you know about the Keyblade?" Shara asks

"The Guardians say that our ancestors spoke of mighty, powerful warriors called Keyblade Wielders that possess magical powers." Cynder explains

"I never knew the Keyblade was so well known. Well, thank you, Cynder. for telling me everything." Shara says

"It's the least I could do. But, Shara, why are you here?" Cynder says

"I was sent to look for my friends, Ventus, Terra, and of course my husband, Ducar." Shara says

Shara looks up at the stars in the night sky, wondering where her friend, Aqua was.

"My friend, Aqua, is out there somewhere helping me search for them." Shara says

Shara looks back down at Cynder.

"I was also sent to make sure that the worlds are safe. But after what I just saw, the Unversed are in this world. My duty is to fight off the Unversed and search for my friends, my husband, and a man named Xehanort." Shara says

"Xehanort? I've never heard anyone by that name." Cynder says

"Then he's not here and neither is my husband." Shara says

"Cynder!" A voice calls out

Shara and Cynder look behind them and see Spyro and Sparx approach them. When the duo reached Cynder, Spyro and Sparx instantly noticed Shara.

"Cynder? Is this-" Spyro asks

"Yes, Spyro. This is Ducar's wife, Shara." Cynder says

"Looks like my husband spoke a lot about me." Shara says

"He-he did. It's finally nice to meet you, Shara. I'm Spyro and this is my brother, Sparx."

"Hello beautiful. I can see why Ducar is your lover boy." Sparx says

Shara blushed a little bit to Sparx' comment.

"Ducar told us a lot about you and your son. He said that you were both very special to him." Spyro says

"That's good to know." Shara says

"Cynder, what are you doing out here? It's dangerous." Spyro says

"You shouldn't have followed me, Spyro." Cynder says

"That's good enough for me. See ya!" Sparx says

"Please, don't make this harder for me than it already is." Cynder says

"I'm just trying to understand." Spyro says

"I'm leaving, Spyro, I don't belong here. After all I've done, after all I've put you and Ducar through, I can't stay." Cynder says

"Cynder, nobody blames you for what happened." Spyro says

"I do. Speak for yourself." Sparx says

"Sparx." Spyro says

"No. Sparx is right. And everyday that goes by, I'm reminded of it. Spyro, your place is here, your destiny is here. But mine is somewhere out there for me to find." Cynder says

"Cynder, I don't want you to go." Spyro says

"Me neither. But if you feel you must go, Cynder, I won't hold you back. Good luck. I'm sure you'll find your place in the world." Shara says

"Thanks, Shara. It was nice to finally meet you." Cynder says

Cynder soon turns her attention to Spyro.

"Cynder..." Spyro says

"Good-bye, Spyro." Cynder says

Having said that, Cynder takes her leave as Shara and Spyro watch her go.

"Right. Can we get some sleep now? I've been only sort of half-sleeping, with one eye open for weeks now, alternating eyes of course, it lessens the strain, but I tell ya, it's taken a toll." Sparx says

Sparx' right-eye started to twitch.

"Hey, was this twitch always there?" Sparx asks

Shara and Sparx looked over at Spyro and saw that he was feeling dizzy.

"Spyro? You okay, buddy?" Sparx asks

Suddenly, Spyro falls down on his left-side and falls unconscious.

"Spyro!" Shara cries out

Shara kneels down to Spyro to check up on him.

"Hey... I want to sleep too, but I didn't mean now! Let's at least get inside. It's-It's dark out man, and I don't like it. Hello? Anyone home? Yoo-hoo!?" Sparx says

Suddenly, Shara also began to feel dizzy. She places her right-hand on her forehead while her vision started to get blurry. The dizziness soon overwhelmed her and she falls down on her back, slipping into unconsciousness next to Spyro.

"Aw, c'mon. Not you too. C'mon, guys. You're scaring me now." Sparx says

( _Elsewhere_ )

Shara slowly regained consciousness and she sat upright on the ground. She looked around and found herself in a vast environment with floating platforms. Soon, Spyro regained consciousness and he stood up on all four paws.

"Spyro, you alright?" Shara asks

"Yeah. But where are we?" Spyro says

Suddenly, Shara and Spyro heard a mysterious voice speaking to them.

 _"Do not be frightened, young dragon and young Keyblade Wielder. You are not alone."_ The voice says

"Who are you and where are we?" Shara asks

"What is this place?" Spyro asks

 _"I have summoned you both here so that you might be warned. The Celestial Moons are counting down and time is running out."_ The voice says

Suddenly, Shara and Spyro began hearing multiple dark voices talking in all directions.

"Make it stop!" Spyro says

In a flash of light, everything that was floating in mid-air instantly stopped moving.

"How did that happen?" Spyro asks

 _"The Purple Dragon can wield many abilities that others cannot, including time itself. Much like how the Keyblade Wielder can wield abilities that others cannot. Learn to master this ability and you will be able to see things almost before they happen. But... use this gift sparingly, only when circumstances demand. Manipulation of time is not to be done without the utmost care."_ The voice says

Shara and Spyro look across from where they were and saw that a trail of floating platforms led further into the dreamscape. They jump across the platforms until they come across a large broken building with a red glowing central platform.

 _"You seemed to have abandoned you're true calling. It is your destiny to harness the powers of the elements. Yet, you possess not."_ The voice says

"I haven't been able to use my abilities for some time now." Spyro says

 _"Yes. Right now, your powers lay dormant within you. Let's see if we might not awaken them."_ The voice says

Spyro steps onto the red glowing platform and closes his eyes.

 _"Clear your mind, Spyro, and feel the fire that flows through your veins. Allow it's heat to consume you, and breathe with it. Now, rise up, and unleash the firestorm within you!"_ The voice says

Spyro rises up on his hind legs and hovers in mid-air. Fire began to swirl around the purple dragon, leaving trails of flames. Within moments, Spyro opens his eyes and unleashes a powerful wave of fire.

 _"Excellent, Spyro. You're a natural. But now that a primal fire rages inside you, show me you have command of it."_ The voice says

Shara and Spyro look toward an open doorway infront of them which was blocked off by a wall of fire. The fiery wall disappears, allowing the two heroes to proceed further into the dreamscape. The Keyblade Master and the purple dragon walked through the doorway and came upon a ledge which turned out to be a dead end. As they stood there on the ledge, four platforms floated up from the endless abyss below and hovered infront of the two heroes, providing them a path toward another large floating platform up ahead. Shara and Spyro both jumped from platform to platform, making their way up.

When they reached the larger platform, four Stone Trolls stepped down from their pedestals and faced the two heroes armed with stone axes and stone shields. Spyro stepped forward and put his Fire Breath to the test against the Stone Trolls.

One of the Stone Trolls swinged it's axe down on Spyro, but the purple dragon jumps back and blasts it with a fireball. Another Stone Troll tried to attack Spyro with it's axe, but the purple dragon jumps back and unleashes a stream of fire from his mouth, burning the Stone Troll to a crisp. The third Stone Troll tried to ram into Spyro with it's shield, but he jumps over to the right and rams his horns into it's side, knocking it away. Then, Spyro charges at the final Stone Troll with his body enveloped in flames and rams his horns into it, sending the troll flying off the platform.

Four more Stone Trolls stepped down from their pedestals and approached the two heroes. Spyro rises up on his hind legs and hovers in mid-air. Fire began to swirl around the purple dragon, leaving trails of flames. Within moments, Spyro opens his eyes and unleashes a powerful wave of fire, decimating the trolls.

Once the Stone Trolls were dealt with, Shara and Spyro moved on toward the next platform. There, they heard the mysterious voice speaking to them again.

 _"You have done well, Spyro. Now, let us see if the Keyblade Wielder can master the element of fire."_ The voice says

Four Stone Trolls stepped down from their pedestals and approached the two heroes. Shara steps forward and summons her Keyblade into her right-hand. She grabs hold of her Keyblade with both hands and held it close to her right-side.

While the Stone Trolls approached her, Shara held her Keyblade close to her face and closed her eyes. Her body began to emit a bright red aura and flames started to engulf both her body and his Keyblade. Just as the Stone Trolls reached her, Shara opened her eyes which briefly had fire burning inside them. She swung her Keyblade around her body, causing flames to swirl around her. She soon swung her Keyblade with a right slash, sending a wall of fire toward the Stone Trolls, making them stagger back.

Shara rushes forward at one of the Stone Trolls with her body cloaked in flames and strikes it with a left slash, slicing the troll in half. One of the Stone Trolls tries to strike Shara with it's axe, but she jumps back into the air and tosses her flaming Keyblade with a twirl. Her Keyblade slices through the Stone Troll with a clean hit across the stomach, then it flies back around like a boomerang and takes out another troll with a slice across it's back just before Shara catches it in her hand. Shara lands back down on the ground with only one Stone Troll left to deal with. Shara aims her Keyblade at the Stone Troll and launches three fireballs from the tip of her Keyblade. Each of the fireballs hit their mark and the Stone Troll disintegrates.

Shara and Spyro moved on to the next platform. There, they encounter four more Stone Trolls that stepped down from their pedestals and approached them. Shara held her Keyblade infront of her face and she began to levitate in mid-air. Shara was encased in a ball of fire and multiple streams of fire began swirling around her entire body. With the fiery power of fire flowing through her body, Shara crosses his arms, then thrusts them out, causing a powerful shockwave of fire to explode from her body, decimating the Stone Trolls in the explosion.

Afterwards, Spyro and Shara come across a building with two dragon statues standing outside. Inside was a chamber that had four different symbols and colors on the walls. In the center of the room was a pool of water. Spyro and Shara walk up to the pool and look into it.

 _"You have both done well... and now it is time for you to return. But be careful, the enemy approaches."_ The voice says

"What enemy?" Shara asks

"Wait! You still haven't told us who you are!" Spyro says

 _"You shall know me as the Chronicler. I am an eternal friend of the Inheritor. Seek me out..."_ The voice says

"The Inheritor?" Shara asks feeling baffled

Shara and Spyro both saw a tree in the pool just before their vision was blinded by a bright light.

( _The Dragon Realms_ )

Sparx hovered over Shara and Spyro, trying to wake them both up.

"Hello? Anyone home?" Sparx says

Shara woke up and sat upright. She held her head with her right-hand and rose up to her feet. Then, Spyro woke up and he stood up on his feet. The Keyblade Master and the purple dragon both shook their heads, then looked at Sparx.

"Something is happening, Sparx. I'm not sure if we can explain it." Spyro says

"No kidding, while you two were catatonic, this whole place has been hooting and howling. Listen." Sparx says

The trio listened carefully and they heard loud screeches in the air.

"What is that?" Shara asks

Suddenly, Shara, Spyro and Sparx were knocked back by an explosion caused by a Dreadwing who dropped an explosive boulder near them. The trio looked up and saw several Dreadwings in the night sky above them, carrying explosives.

"The temple is under attack! The others are still sleeping! We have to get back!" Spyro exclaims

"Are you crazy? You wanna run towards the danger?" Sparx says

"We're gonna have to find another way in. C'mon." Spyro says

"Right behind you." Shara says

"Ugh. I liked you both better when you were sleeping." Sparx says

Shara, Spyro, and Sparx began making their way toward the Dragon Temple, cutting through the jungle. Eventually, they reach the Dragon Temple and head inside. Just as they enter the main chamber where the Dragon Guardians were once sleeping, a group of Flood Unversed emerged from the shadows and stood infront of them. Shara summoned her Keyblade into her hands and got into battle stance alongside Spyro who rears back and stands alongside her.

One Flood tries to attack Shara with it's claws, but she strikes the Unversed with an uppercut from her Keyblade, knocking it into the air. From there, Shara leaps up and smacks the Unversed back down into the ground with a downward slash from her Keyblade. The Keyblade Master lands crouched down on the ground. She looks ahead of her and saw two more Flood attacking her. Shara knocks away the first Unversed with a roundhouse kick, then takes out the second Unversed with a cartwheel kick.

Spyro charges at a Flood and rams into it with his horns, sending the Unversed flying into a nearby wall. Two Flood try to attack Spyro at the same time, but the purple dragon unleashes a stream of fire upon the Unversed, engulfing them in flames.

Four Floods leap forward at Shara for an attack, intending to strike her all at once. Shara jumps up and performs a spinning attack, swinging her Keyblade at the Unversed, taking them all out with a single swipe. Two more Flood try to attack Shara, but she swings her Keyblade with a right slash, launching an orb of light at the two Unversed. Upon impact, the orb of light explodes in a flash of light, disintegrating both of the Unversed.

Six more Unversed emerged from the shadows and surrounded Shara, forming a circle around her. Shara just stood where she was and held her Keyblade vertically up to her face, keeping a calm exterior. Shara's entire body began to glow with pure light which emitted a bright blue glow. Just as the Unversed moved to attack her, Shara opened her eyes which briefly flashed with a blue light. She raises her Keyblade into the air with both hands and performed a magical spinning attack with trails of light and blue wisps swirling around her. The attack sucked in all of the Unversed and destroyed them.

Spyro and Sparx both looked at Shara in amazement, seeing that she was just as powerful as her husband was.

"Okay, I don't know who's cooler. Shara or Ducar. Aw, who am I kidding? They're both awesome!" Sparx says

After fighting their way through the Unversed, they reach the outside balcony. Further down the walkway, Shara and Spyro both see Ignitus fighting off both the Unversed and the Apes as they surrounded him.

Ignitus rams his head into an ape, sending it flying off the balcony. Four more apes tried to attack Ignitus all at once, but the large dragon unleashes a stream of fire at the apes, burning them to a crisp. He then knocks away an ape with a swipe of his right-claw. A Wild Bruiser Unversed tries to attack Ignitus, but he shoots a fire blast at the Unversed, taking it out with one shot. Four Wild Bruisers emerge from the shadows infront of Ignitus and they all charge at him. Ignitus jumps into the air, dodging the Unversed. While in the air, Ignitus shoots a fireball down at the Unversed, blasting them into oblivion. He lands back onto the balcony and two more Wild Bruisers appear infront of him. Ignitus smacks two Unversed away with a swipe of his tail. More Unversed appear behind Ignitus and attempt to attack him while his back was turned. Ignitus quickly turns around and smacks a Wild Bruiser away with his tail. The Unversed tried to attack Ignitus from all sides, but the large dragon breathes a stream of fire toward the Unversed on the left, then over to the ones on the right, and toward the ones infront of him. Still more Unversed began to appear infront of Ignitus, making the large dragon move back.

"Ignitus!" Spyro cries out

Ignitus looks up toward Spyro.

"Get down here, young dragon! We need your help!" Ignitus says

Ignitus soon notices Shara standing next to Spyro.

"By our ancestors... Could it be?" Ignitus says

While Ignitus was distracted, the Unversed and the Apes pile up on the large dragon, beating him constantly. Shara and Spyro jump down to help Ignitus and the vile creatures turn their attention toward them. Ignitus rises back onto his feet and used his Fire Fury, unleashing a powerful fiery shockwave which decimated all the Unversed and the Apes.

Just when they thought it was over, a large, armored Unversed appears in the air in a flash of darkness above the heroes. This Unversed was known as The Iron Imprisoner. The large Unversed raised it's large, black hammer over it's head and swings it down on the heroes. Shara, Spyro, and Ignitus were knocked back by the force of the hammer as it smashes down infront of them. Shara falls down flat on her stomach while Spyro and Ignitus were sent further away from her, landing on the walkway. Spyro recovers from the attack and saw that Shara was still down on the ground. The purple dragon rushes to her aid, but a wall of dark blue flames suddenly cut off his path from Shara.

"Shara!" Spyro cries out

Shara looked up and saw the dark fire wall that had trapped her on the balcony. She then turns around and saw the Iron Imprisoner towering over her. Shara quickly rose onto her feet, summoned her Keyblade into her hands, and got into battle stance as she prepared to face off against the large Unversed. Spyro, Sparx, and Ignitus could only watch helplessly from the other side of the dark fire wall as Shara faced the Iron Imprisoner alone.

The Iron Imprisoner stuck first by swinging it's hammer down at Shara who backflips away from the Unversed, dodging the hammer as it smashes down on the ground. Shara leaps toward the Iron Imprisoner and strikes with a jumping attack that hits five times. The Iron Imprisoner retaliates by spinning around swinging it's hammer, sending a multiple fire blasts at Shara. The female Keyblade Master stood firm and held her Keyblade above her head with both hands, creating a spherical blue barrier of light that encases her and protects her from the flames. Afterwards, the barrier shatters, sending shards of light flying at the large Unversed, hitting it in numerous places. Each of the shards of light detonate in a series of small explosions, dishing out some damage to the Unversed.

The Iron Imprisoner sinks into the ground and it's shadow heads straight for Shara. Before the Iron Imprisoner could attack, Shara jumps back and teleports away just as the Iron Imprisoner bursts out of the ground. She soon reappears in the air above the Iron Imprisoner and dives down on the large Unversed, summoning a large pillar of light that beams down on the Unversed. Shara teleports down to the ground and tosses her Keyblade with a right-toss, sending the Keyblade flying toward the Unversed. The Keyblade shines with a blue light as it soars toward the Unversed. Within moments, the Keyblade lands a direct hit at the chest of the Iron Imprisoner, leaving it weakened and dazed by the attack.

While the Unversed was stunned, Shara aims her Keyblade at the Iron Imprisoner and fires a salvo of rainbow-colored orbs at the Unversed. The Iron Imprisoner was hit multiple times by the orbs, being struck in numerous places. The Iron Imprisoner disintegrates in a blaze of dark blue flames and the fight was finished.

The wall of dark fire that had trapped Shara dims down and disappears, allowing her to head on over to Spyro, Sparx and Ignitus.

"Is everyone alright?" Ignitus asks

Ignitus looks around and notices that Cynder wasn't with Shara and Spyro.

"Where's Cynder?" Ignitus asks

Shara, Spyro, and Sparx look at each other, then look back at Ignitus.

( _Moments later_ )

Shara, Spyro, Sparx, Ignitus, Terrador, Cyril, and Volteer met up in the Dragon Temple within the main chamber near the Pool of Visions.

"Ah. You must be Shara. Ducar's wife. Your husband spoke much of you." Ignitus says

"So I've heard. It's nice to meet you, Ignitus." Shara says

"I'm certain that someday in time, we'll meet your son, Devon." Ignitus says

"I feel the same way." Shara says

"From what I saw, you must be a Keyblade Wielder, correct?" Ignitus asks

"Yes. I am." Shara says

"We are very grateful to you, Shara, for helping us defend the Dragon Temple." Ignitus says

"Yes. You're skills with the Keyblade are encouraging." Cyril says

"Both you and your husband." Terrador says

"Thanks, Cyril. Thanks, Terrador. It's a shame to hear that my husband had succumbed to the darkness in his heart, but I believe he will succeed in defeating it. I have faith in my him." Shara says

The group turned their attention to the Pool of Visions to see if they could find out where Cynder had gone.

"See anything, Ignitus?" Spyro asks

"No... I can't see where Cynder has gone... Just darkness." Ignitus says

"Wait. Cynder, darkness, aren't they the same thing?" Sparx asks

Suddenly, Ignitus sees something in the Pool of Visions.

"What's this? Something is coming into focus." Ignitus says

In the pool, Ignitus saw a vision of Shara and Spyro standing infront of a great tree.

"This is peculiar. I see you and Shara standing at the base of a great tree. Admist a lake of mist and gloom." Ignitus says

"A tree! We've seen that tree! Me and Shara. In our dreams. Only to me, they usually feel more like nightmares." Spyro says

"Young dragon, you've been keeping secrets. What is it that you see in these dreams?" Ignitus says

"I'm sorry, Ignitus. I thought they would go away, but they only get worse." Spyro says

"Relax, Spyro. Think." Ignitus says

Spyro closes his eyes and tries to remember what he saw in his dreams.

"I see... a mountain draped in shadow. A face of stone beneath two moons... and darkness." Spyro says

"The Mountain of Malefor." Terrador says

"There was another, but it was more like I was seeing into the past and the future all at once. And there was a voice calling himself The Chronicler. That's when we saw the tree." Spyro says

"Impossible." Terrador says

"The Chronicler?" Cyril asks baffled

"He also mentioned of another being called The Inheritor." Spyro says

"The Inheritor?" Ignitus asks

"I don't believe it, either. I've not heard either of those names in ages." Volteer says

"Nor has anyone. But there is no way that Spyro or Shara could have known. And this Inheritor. This is fascinating." Ignitus says

"Who is the Chronicler?" Spyro asks

"The Chronicler is an ancient dragon of immeasurable wisdom. The Inheritor however is new to me. Though I've only heard stories. In fact, I've had my doubts as to legitimacy of the tales. Yet now, I am left to wonder." Ignitus says

"As are we all. But if it is true, it is unsettling that the reemergence of the Chronicler would coincide with an attack on the temple. Not to mention these other visions that Spyro and Shara are having." Terrador says

"Yes...very. Tales of the Chronicler are often interwoven with tales of doom. Though I am uncertain about the Inheritor." Ignitus says

"Oh, goodie! I was afraid we might have to spend the rest of the night without anymore doom." Sparx says sarcastically

( _Moments later_ )

Shara, Spyro, Sparx, and the four Dragon Guardians head outside onto the balcony and they all look up toward two moons, both of which were different in color. One was a purple color while the other was turquoise. From the way it looked, it seemed that the two moons would align with each other.

"It was only a matter of time, Ignitus. We've all felt it. A great evil is on the horizon." Volteer says

"Perhaps, but we mustn't rush to judgment. This evening has brought about many unexplained things." Ignitus says

"We may not have time, Ignitus. The celestial moons are almost at an eclipse, this we know for certain. We must prepare for the worst. The Night of Eternal Darkness draws nigh." Cyril says

"Your instincts, though faint of heart, are true. We are no longer safe here. This recent attack is likely the first of many. The forces of the Ape King and Lord Thanatos now know of Spyro and Shara's existence and they will not rest until they witness their demise." Terrador says

"Lord Thanatos?" Shara asks

"From what Ducar has told us, Lord Thanatos is an evil, powerful being that controls fearsome, unimaginable power. We assumed he had perished when the World of Convexity collapsed in on itself, but apparently he somehow managed to survive. Knowing him, he is probably the one in control of the Ape King and his forces. And with the Night of Eternal Darkness approaching, there is no doubt that Lord Thanatos will become even more powerful." Terrador says

"I'm afraid Terrador is right. As uncertain as things are, none of us can remain idle and watch as our worst fears unfold before us." Ignitus says

Ignitus looks left at Volteer.

"Volteer, you and Cyril must go to the mainland to learn what news you can." Ignitus says

Ignitus looks right at Terrador.

"Terrador, make haste to the Shattered Vale and warn the inhabitants of that region that darkness is spreading in Malefor. I shall stay and search for Cynder. These are dangerous times for a dragon to be wandering about. Especially with Lord Thanatos and his dark creatures on the move. I fear what might happen if he finds her first. May our ancestors look after us and keep us safe... in these dark times." Ignitus says

"What should we do, Ignitus?" Shara asks

Ignitus looks down at Shara and Spyro.

"Shara, you and Spyro must travel by another path and seek out the tree from your dream. If the stories of the Chronicler and the Inheritor are true, there may be hope for us yet. And I think I know where to begin." Ignitus says

( _Moments later_ )

Shara, Spyro, Sparx, Terrador, Cyril and Volteer set out with their given tasks.

 _"There is an Ancient Grove within the forest at the end of the Silver River. It is a secret place untouched by civilization. The waters there are poisonous, as well as the creatures who are nurtured by it but you shouldn't encounter any real danger except for the Unversed. Trust your instincts. I shall be waiting for you both here at the temple when your task is complete."_ Ignitus says

* * *

 **Author's Note:** It's now Shara's turn to visit the Dragon Realms! Shara meets Cynder and saves her from the Unversed. Then, she meets Spyro and Sparx. Cynder leaves and both Shara and Spyro enter the dreamscape where they hear the voice of the Chronicler. Soon after, the Dragon Temple is attacked by the Unversed and the Apes, but Shara and Spyro manage to help the Dragon Guardians fend them off. They then explain to Ignitus, Terrador, Cyril, and Volteer about what happened in their dream, about hearing the Chronicler's voice who spoke of the Inheritor. Hold the phone! The Inheritor?! How does he come into this? Seems the Inheritor is quite famous. Anyway, with the Eternal Night of Darkness approaching, Shara and Spyro set out in search for the Chronicler, and supposedly the Inheritor in the Ancient Grove, thus beginning their journey together. Let's see how this turns out. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review! **  
**


	11. The Ancient Grove

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Ancient Grove_ )

Shara, Spyro and Sparx were now in the Ancient Grove taking in their surroundings. As Ignitus stated, the Ancient Grove was untouched by civilization. Much of it was unexplored and uncharted with many undiscovered creatures and plants. Plant life here was diverse and colorful. Some of the trees grew to heights of over a hundred  
feet, and the sun raining through their leaves gave the grove a very ethereal look.

"Oh yes, lovely. He always sends us to the nicest places." Sparx says

"C'mon, Sparx. It's not that bad." Spyro says

Suddenly, Shara, Spyro, and Sparx hear eerie noises in the grove.

"Well sure, if you ignore all the evil beasts and visions of doom and eternal darkness, which sounds lovely by the way, oh, and the fact that we now get to frolic through the magical creepy forest in search of some stupid tree! What's not to love?" Sparx says

"You're psyched. Let's go." Spyro says

With that said, Spyro started walking further into the Ancient Grove followed by Shara and Sparx. Over the next several minutes, the heroes traversed through the grove searching for the tree that would lead them to the Chronicler and the Inheritor.

"What are we doing here? I'm not even sure what we're supposed to be looking for. I think we're lost." Spyro says

"Alright maggots! Time to spread out!" A voice yells

Shara, Spyro, and Sparx immediately stopped dead in their tracks once they heard the voice. They hid behind a tree as a group of five canine-like pirates known as Skavengers started looking around the area.

"Don't bother snaring anything smaller than a scurvy wing. Skabb only wants prize fighters this time and double the bounty for the one who captures Arrrborick!" One Skavanger says

"This isn't right. Ignitus said this place was uninhabited." Spyro says

"We must have taken a wrong turn." Shara says

"All those in favor of turning back?" Sparx says

Suddenly, Shara and Spyro fall down unconscious on the ground. The thud from their collapse caught the attention of the Skavangers, making them look toward their hiding position.

"Aye! It came from over there. Go see what it might be." The same Skavanger says

The Skavengers began to close in toward the spot where the heroes were hiding. Sparx looked back and forth between the approaching pirates and Shara and Spyro who were down on the ground. Mustering up his somewhat bravery, Sparx flies out from behind the tree and up to the Skavengers.

"Uh... so... uh... How is everyone today?" Sparx says sheepishly

"Hah hah! Little bug isn't much bigger than a bog-rat." Another Skavanger teases

"Hey! Who you callin' a bug you crazy eye, mangy drool mutt?" Sparx snaps

The Skavangers didn't take lightly to hearing that from Sparx and they all growled at the small dragonfly.

"Uh-oh." Sparx says

"Get him!" The Skavanger says

In less than a second, Sparx began flying for the hills, fleeing from the Skavangers.

"Mommy!" Sparx screams

( _Meanwhile_ )

Shara and Spyro slowly regained consciousness and found themselves in the Dreamscape again. Suddenly, they both shivered as they felt a cold wind blowing at them. And strangely enough, it was snowing.

"It's cold here." Spyro says

"Yeah. It is. I wonder why?" Shara says

Shara looks down from their floating platform and she saw a broken building with a icy blue glowing central platform down below.

"Spyro, there's another platform down there." Shara says

"C'mon!" Spyro says

Shara and Spyro jump down to the platform that was below them. From there, they approach the glowing platform and attempt to address the Chronicler.

"Chronicler? Are you there? We've done what you asked of us. But I'm afraid we're lost." Spyro says

 _"As long as the spirits of the ancestors are with you, you are never lost. Calm yourself, Spyro, and cool your thoughts."_ The Chronicler says

Spyro steps onto the blue glowing platform and closes his eyes.

 _"Do not let your fire control you. There are other elements at play here. The power of ice also moves through you, just as the chilled wind whip through your wings. Let it... expand!"_ The Chronicler says

Spyro rises up on his hind legs and hovers in mid-air. Shards of ice began to swirl around the purple dragon, leaving frosty trails of icy wind. Within moments, Spyro opens his eyes and unleashes a powerful wave of ice, sending the ice shards in multiple directions.

 _"I knew you'd remember. Life seeks out balance. And one who can master fire and ice is truly powerful in the shifting face of danger."_

Shara and Spyro look toward an open doorway infront of them which was blocked off by a wall of blue light. The wall disappears, allowing the two heroes to proceed further into the dreamscape. The Keyblade Master and the purple dragon walked through the doorway and came upon a ledge, which just like before, turned out to be a dead end. As they stood there on the ledge, three platforms floated up from the endless abyss below and hovered infront of the two heroes, providing them a path toward another large floating platform up ahead. Shara and Spyro both jumped from platform to platform, making their way up.

When they reached the larger platform, four Stone Trolls stepped down from their pedestals and faced the two heroes armed with stone axes and stone shields. Spyro stepped forward and put his Ice Breath to the test against the Stone Trolls.

One of the Stone Trolls swings it's stone axe down at Spyro, but the purple dragon leans his body to the left, and counters the attack by slamming his tail at the Stone Troll while his tail was covered in ice. The Stone Troll was sent flying off the platform and it fell down into the endless abyss, but it soon disappeared in a flash of light. The three remaining Stone Trolls charged at Spyro in an attempt to strike him all at once, but the purple dragon launches an polar bomb from his mouth, shooting a ball of ice at the Stone Trolls. Upon impact, the polar bomb explodes in a cloud of ice, blowing away the remaining Stone Trolls.

Four more Stone Trolls stepped down from their pedestals and approached the two heroes. Spyro rises up on his hind legs and hovers in mid-air. Shards of ice began to swirl around the purple dragon, leaving frosty trails of icy wind. Within moments, Spyro opens his eyes and unleashes a powerful wave of ice, sending the ice shards in multiple directions. The trolls were hit by numerous ice shards in several places and they disappear in a flash of light.

Once the Stone Trolls were dealt with, Shara and Spyro moved on toward the next platform. There, they heard the Chronicler speaking to them again.

 _"Very well done, Spyro. I believe now it is time for the Keyblade Wielder to test her ability to wield the element of Ice."_ The Chronicler says

Four Stone Trolls stepped down from their pedestals and approached the two heroes. Shara steps forward and summons her Keyblade into her right-hand. She grabs hold of her Keyblade with both hands and held it close to her right-side.

While the Stone Trolls approached her, Shara held her Keyblade close to her face and closed her eyes. Her body began to emit an icy blue aura and particles of ice started to emanate from both her body and her Keyblade. Just as the Stone Trolls reached her, Shara opened her eyes which briefly flashed a white light. She swung her Keyblade around her body, causing streams of ice to swirl around her. She soon swung her Keyblade with a right slash, sending a gust of ice blowing toward the Stone Trolls, making them stagger back.

Shara rushes toward one of the Stone Trolls with her body wrapped in light blue ice crystals, and swings her Keyblade, striking the first Stone Troll directly in the chest. Upon contact, the Stone Troll was frozen solid and it shattered into pieces right on the spot. Another Stone Troll charges at Shara and swings it's stone axe down on her, but she leaps up into the air, performing a backflip and swings her Keyblade, launching five ice shards at the Stone Troll. Each of the ice shards pierce through the Stone Troll with direct impact and destroys it. Shara lands back on the ground and throws her Keyblade at another Stone Troll with a left-diagonal toss. The Keyblade flies toward the Stone Troll with ice particles enveloping it. Within moments, the Stone Troll was struck by the Keyblade and was frozen solid before it exploded and shattered to pieces. Now, with only one Stone Troll left, Shara raises her Keyblade above her head, creating a beam of light, and stabs it into the ground, sending a trail of ice crystal spikes toward the Stone Troll. The Stone Troll was pierced by the crystal spikes and it disintegrated in a flash of light.

Shara and Spyro moved on to the next platform. There, they encounter four more Stone Trolls that stepped down from their pedestals and approached them. Shara held her Keyblade infront of her face with both hands and closes her eyes as she concentrates on drawing from the power of Ice. A large glacier slowly rose up from beneath Shara's feet as she started to levitate in mid-air. A veil of frosty wind swirled around Shara as she conjured up the attack. Large chunks of ice appeared around Shara surrounding her and they started to spin around her. Another large chunk of ice, much bigger than the other ones, appeared above Shara and it hovered over her. With the sheer cold power of ice flowing through her body, Shara opens her eyes which briefly emitted a light blue aura, crosses her arms, then thrusts them out, causing the chunks of ice explode, sending multiple ice shards in every direction, mostly toward the Stone Trolls. Each of the Stone Trolls were pierced by the ice shards in numerous places and they all disintegrate in a flash of light.

Afterwards, Spyro and Shara came across the building with the two dragon statues. They enter the room that had four different symbols and colors on the walls and they walk up to the pool of water. Once they reached the pool, the two heroes look into it.

"Okay. Now what? What is it that you want us to do? I think we're entitled to know what's happening." Spyro says

 _"You both already know what is happening... of the great evil that is awakening. But there is more that you must understand."_ The Chronicler says

Shara and Spyro soon see a vision in a pool, revealing to them a dark mountain.

"I've seen this place before. It frightens me." Spyro says

 _"This is an evil place. It is called the Mountain of Malefor, an asylum to the wandering phantoms and lost spirits of those who had turned to darkness. But to the spirits themselves and the black hearted, it goes by another name."_ The Chronicler says

Next, Shara and Spyro see Lord Thanatos and the Evil Ape King, Gaul standing before the mountain with a huge army of Apes and Unversed behind them.

 **"THE WELL OF SOULS."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos stands before the Mountain of Malefor and spreads his arms out. His demonic eyes and dark heartstone glowed with their evil red light. Raising his arms up to the evil sky, the dark Keyblade Master unleashes a massive storm of dark blue lightning from both his hands into the black clouds above.

"Lord Thanatos!" Spyro exclaims

"So, that is Lord Thanatos. The one who my husband encountered." Shara says

 _"Yes. He is a powerful being of pure evil who controls dark powers that are far beyond this world. Should you both encounter Lord Thanatos, beware of his evil lure. His power is said to turn those who are the purest of heart into a evil servant of darkness. Tread carefully."_ The Chronicler says

Shara and Spyro continued to stare at Lord Thanatos before their vision was blinded by a bright light.

( _The Ancient Grove_ )

Shara and Spyro regain consciousness and found themselves back in the Dragon Realms. They both stood up and look around their surroundings. They found themselves in an open cave with Sparx nowhere to be seen.

"Sparx? Sparx? Sparx, where are you?" Spyro says

Out of nowhere, Sparx flew up to Shara and Spyro feeling exhausted.

"Oh, man, guys. I'm outta shape." Sparx says

The Skavangers arrived from around the corner and faced the heroes.

"What have we here? Arrr first catch of the day!" One of the Skavangers says

"Better think again." Shara says

Shara summons her Keyblade: Faithful Salvation into her hands in a flash of light and got into battle stance. Spyro rears back and stood ready alongside the female Keyblade Master.

One of the Skavangers swung it's sword down at Shara, but she quickly blocks the blade holding her Keyblade up in defense. She then swung away the pirate's sword and delivered a right-diagonal slash to his chest, taking down the Skavanger with one hit. Another Skavanger brought his sword down on Spyro, but the purple dragon leaps over to the left, dodging the sword. He then jumped up and used his Ice Tail attack, swinging his ice-covered tail at the Skavanger's head, knocking the pirate out cold. Two of the Skavangers tried to attack Shara at once, but she jumps up and kicks them back with splitting kick, using both her legs to knock them both back. The two pirates were both struck in the head and they both fell onto the ground backwards. Now with only one Skavanger left, Shara throws her Keyblade with a diagonal toss at the last remaining pirate. The Keyblade lands a direct hit at the Skavanger's chest, making him fall backwards onto the ground, taking him out with one hit.

With the Skavangers were defeated, Shara, Spyro, and Sparx continued their journey, heading deeper into the Ancient Grove. The heroes soon stopped when they saw a wide river of poisonous water flowing infront of them. Shara kneeled down to the edge of the river and slowly touched the water with her right-hand. As soon as her hand touched the purple water, Shara felt the burning sting of the poisonous river, making her pull her hand back.

"Ahhh! This river seems to be toxic. I don't think we'll be swimming in that." Shara says rubbing her hand

"Well, Ignitus said that this place is poisonous." Spyro says

"Okay. So, how do we get across?" Shara asks

"Maybe my Ice Breath can help. Let me try." Spyro says

Spyro launches an orb of ice from his mouth at the river infront of them. Upon impact, the ice orb explodes in a mist of snow, creating a large ice platform on the river.

"Good thinking, Spyro." Shara says

"Thanks. Now, come on. We gotta find the tree." Spyro says

Shara and Spyro jump onto the ice platform and it stood still. The platform was able to support their weight and it stayed afloat on the river. Spyro launches another orb of ice on the river, creating another ice platform for them to stand on. It took only a single ice orb, four each, to create four ice platforms for the heroes to cross safely to the other side. Step by step, using Spyro's Ice Breath, the trio managed to safely cross the poisonous river and continue on with their journey.

The heroes soon came upon another obstacle in the path. The area before them was a wide chasm filled with large blue floating jellyfish creatures. On the other side of the chasm was a path that would surely lead them to the tree in their vision.

"Okay. Now, I've seen everything." Sparx says

"There's another path on the other side of this chasm." Spyro says

"Yeah. But it looks like we'll need to jump across to get there." Shara says

Shara looked on ahead and saw a jellyfish creature floating near the edge of the cliff where they stood. With bravery in her heart, the Keyblade Master jumped off and landed ontop of the jellyfish which was able to support her weight. Shara turned around and looks back at Spyro and Sparx.

"C'mon! We can use these jellyfish to get across!" Shara says

Spyro nods in acknowledgement and he follows Shara, jumping off from the cliff and using his wings to glide across to the jellyfish she stood on. Just as they did before, Shara and Spyro jumped from one jellyfish creature to the other as they made their way across the chasm. They had to jump over at least ten jellyfish creatures to reach the other side of the chasm. Eventually, they safely made it to the other side and pushed on through the Ancient Grove.

As they were now walking down the path which would lead them to the tree from their vision, Shara and Spyro saw four Skavangers run out from another path infront of them. But they weren't going after them. Instead, it seemed like they were running from something. The trio then saw a fifth Skavanger get thrown out from the right-side of the path and slammed into a tree before falling onto the ground unconscious.

"What do you think is going on, Shara?" Spyro asks

"I'm not sure, Spyro, but I think it would be wise to be cautious. We don't know what's going to be in there." Shara says

The trio proceed onward down the path where the Skavanger came out of, being cautious as to whatever awaited them further ahead. Soon, they came into an open area and after traveling throughout the Ancient Grove for several minutes, Shara and Spyro came across the great tree believed to be from their visions. The tree was exactly the way it was pictured in their dream. It was large, glowed with light, and it sat in a pool of purple water.

"Is that your dumb tree? It's beautiful. Can we go now?" Sparx says

"This feels like the right place, but I'm not sure what we're supposed to do here." Spyro says

"Wonderful. I'm going to go wait over there, you know, give you a few minutes. Maybe there was a lily pad you forgot to sing on or a rainbow you can talk to." Sparx says

While Sparx flew off in some other direction, Shara and Spyro approached the tree.

"Hello? We're here. Give us a sign or something." Spyro says

Suddenly, the great tree sinks into the poisonous water and a large wooden golem emerges out of the water. This wooden golem was known as Arborick.

Arborick emerges out of the poisonous water and looks down at Shara and Spyro.

"Uh, it's my turn to pass out. You're on your own, guys." Sparx says

Sparx falls to the ground and passes out on the spot.

"Oh, brother." Spyro mutters rolling his eyes

Shara summons her Keyblade into her hands and got into battle stance with Spyro rears back and stood alongside her. Arborick pounds his chest with his large hands, then lets out a loud roar at Shara and Spyro.

Arborick struck first by swiping his right-hand at Shara and Spyro. Shara jumps over Arborick's hand with a somersault while Spyro jumps back. Shara throws her Keyblade at Arborick with a right-toss, landing a direct hit at the golem's chest. Spyro uses his Fire Breath, launching three fireballs at Arborick's head. Arborick raises his right-foot and tries to stomp on Shara and Spyro, but the two heroes jump back just as the golem brought his foot down.

Shara swings her Keyblade upward and downward three times, launching three discs of white light at Arborick's chest. The golem tries to smash it's right-hand down Shara, but she cartwheels over to the right, just as the golem brought his fist down. Spyro uses his Ice Breath, launching multiple ice shards from his mouth at Arborick. The golem shields himself from the purple dragon's attack holding his right-arm infront of his face. Arborick then kicks his right-foot toward Spyro, attempting to hit him, but the purple dragon jumps over to the right, dodging the attack.

Arborick turns his attention toward Shara while she stood ready. Shara held her Keyblade vertically infront of her face and closes her eyes. Her body began to glow with a blue light. Her Keyblade also started to glow with a bright light of the same blue color. Arborick gripped both his fists and raises them over his head as he prepares to strike. Shara soon opened her eyes which briefly flashed a blue light. Just as the golem brought his fists down on Shara, she crosses her arms, then thrusts them out, creating a blinding flash of light which forces Arborick to shield himself from the light.

Shara strikes Arborick with six wide-sweeping slashes, landing multiple hits to his chest. She then swings her Keyblade above her head five times and finishes with a jumping slash to Arborick's head. The golem swings it's right-arm to swat Shara away, but she drops back down to the ground. From there, Shara tosses her Keyblade six times at Arborick, landing multiple hits to his chest. Next, she swings her Keyblade with a right-slash, firing a powerful orb of blue light at Arborick which lands a direct hit on his chest and explodes, causing the golem to stagger backwards. Then, Shara finishes with a magical spinning attack, jumping up at Arborick and striking him at least twenty times at his chest.

Arborick stumbles back and collapses into the poisonous river. Sparx regained consciousness and saw that Arborick was defeated.

"What the...? Oh, you killed it." Sparx says

Sparx flew over to Shara and Spyro as they stood on a small cliff on the opposite side.

"We came all this way so you two could kill it?" Sparx asks

Sparx then began talking in a mockingly voice.

 _"Spyro... Shara... I am the mighty tree... calling you from across the void. Journey hither and vanquish me."_ Sparx says

"Yeah, I don't think we were supposed to do that. Wait! You don't suppose that was the Chronicler?" Spyro says

Suddenly, Shara, Spyro and Sparx were approached by Skabb, Captain of the Skavangers and a group of Skavangers.

Skabb was Captain of the Skavangers who was in fact very stupid. On his left-shoulder and back were two parrots named Scratch and Sniff.

"Alas, the purple dragon and the off-worlder who's been wandering lost in the Ancient Grove. You've been quite a nuisance to us." Scratch says

Skabb nods in agreement.

"Whoa! What's with the gurgling nitwit?" Sparx asks

"If I were you, I'd shut my mouth. I ain't going to say it again!" Sniff says

"Sparx, maybe you should stay out of this one." Spyro says

"Yes, mind yourself. To answer your earlier question... No! That wasn't the Chronicler, or the Inheritor, whoever they are. That was Arborick and he was going to be the main attraction in our tournament and now it's ruined." Scratch says

"I really feel bad about that." Shara says

"Oh really, no need for remorse. You'll do just fine." Scratch says pointing his wing at the two heroes

"What does he mean by that?" Sparx asks

"I don't know and I don't like it." Shara says

Shara and Spyro were both suddenly knocked unconscious by two other Skavanger who struck their back of their heads with two wooden clubs. From there, they were brought onto a massive flying ship called The Fellmuth where the Skavangers intended to have Shara and Spyro fight against monsters for entertainment.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Uh-oh. Shara, Spyro, and Sparx have been captured by Skabb, Scratch, Sniff, and the Skavangers. How will things turn out for Shara, Spyro, and Sparx? Also, a quick note. Once again, I've decided to change Lord Thanatos' voice reference and I believe I feel confident in this one. Lord Thanatos will now be voiced by Doug Bradley, the voice of Pinhead from the _Hellraiser_ franchise, and the voice of Valkorian from _Star Wars: The Old Republic: Knights of the Fallen Empire_. I thought that Erik Dellums who was the voice of Prince Arcann would be a good voice reference for Lord Thanatos, but after looking it over a couple times, I honestly felt that Doug Bradley would be better suited for him. I will be holding onto Prince Arcann's voice reference for another character, but I won't mention who. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	12. The Fellmuth Arena

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Fellmuth_ )

Shara and Spyro both awoke from unconsciousness, finding themselves in a cell within the Fellmuth. Sparx was already awake and glad to see the Keyblade Master and the purple dragon awake.

"Oh, great. You're both awake. I was beginning to feel a bit lonely in this cell while you two were both dozing off." Sparx says

"What is this place?" Shara asks looking around the cell

"I don't know, but we have to find a way out of here." Spyro says

"Agreed." Shara says

Shara and Spyro walked back and forth trying to find a means of escape when they see a familiar Manweersmall walk by.

"Mole-yair!" Spyro exclaims excitingly

"Spyro? Is that really you, old friend?" Mole-yair says

"Yes. It's me. Mole-yair, I'd like you to meet Shara, she's Ducar's wife and she's  
also a Keyblade Wielder just like him." Spyro says

"Yes. It's nice to meet you, Mole-yair. I am aware that you met my husband." Shara says

"Ah, indeed. Ducar and Spyro helped free my people in Munitions Forge a while ago. He was a very courageous and brave warrior. My people and I are forever in his debt." Mole-yair says

"Where are we? Can you get us out of here?" Spyro asks

"You are on Skabb's Ship, and will likely be made to compete in the arena fights,  
like the other prisoners. I, too, am a prisoner here, as are many of my kinsmen.  
But we moles are too frail to make for worthwhile entertainment, so we are made to serve grog to these scavengers." Mole-yair says

"Mole-yair, you have to get us out." Shara says

"Shhh. We'll talk later. Someone is coming." Mole-yair says

Mole-yair takes his leave away from the cell to make way for Skabb, Scratch, and Sniff  
who approach the heroes.

"I trust your living quarters are to your liking?" Scratch asks

"I dunno. My roommates could be more fun though." Sparx says

"I thought I told you to be quiet, fool! And you two, get ready to fight. It's  
hurtin' time baby!" Sniff says

Skabb soon walks away with the two birds.

"I really, I mean more than really, hate those birds." Sparx says

Two Skavangers approach the cell and escort Shara and Spyro to the arena.

( _Moments later_ )

Skabb, Scratch, and Sniff were hosting the fights in the arena with a crowd of  
Skavangers.

"Fiends and felons! Scoundrels and swindlers! Welcome... to the first event of the evening! Tonight, we bring to you a very special battle, sure to quench your thirst for brutality!" Scratch announces

"Enough of this jibba jabba! Let's bring on the pain!" Sniff says

"Introducing... a creature both rare and powerful. A creature of might and magic!  
Prepare yourselves and feast your eyes on Spyro... the Dragon, and Shara... the Keyblade Wielder!" Scratch says

A gate on one side of the arena opens up and Shara and Spyro step into the arena, making their way toward the center.

"Wow. If we weren't about to die, I'd say this is pretty neat." Sparx says

"I got a bad feeling about this." Spyro says

"Probably just the butterflies in your stomach. Trust me, I know." Sparx says

"And their opponent... You've seen them before, and loved them! We offer you,  
none other than the twins of terror themselves, the Blundertails!" Scratch announces

Two scorpion-like creatures approach Shara and Spyro. Shara summons her Keyblade: Faithful Salvation into her right-hand and gets into battle stance, drawing her Keyblade to her right-side, gripping it with both hands. Spyro rears back and also gets into battle stance.

One of the Blundertails attacked first by snapping it's pincers at Shara, but she jumps away with a backflip and counters with a leaping overhead strike, hitting the scorpion-like creature directly in the head. The Blundertail staggers back after receiving the attack. The Blundertail tries to swing it's tail down on Shara, but she jumps back, avoiding it's tail. She then jumps high over the Blundertail with a somersault until she lands right behind it. From there, Shara quickly turns around and swings her Keyblade down on the Blundertail, striking it's rear end. The Blundertail yelped as it was struck by Shara's Keyblade, but it quickly turned around to continue it's battle with the female Keyblade Master.

While Shara dealt with her opponent, Spyro fought against the other Blundertail. The purple dragon uses his Fire Breath on the Blundertail, unleashing a stream of fire from his mouth, engulfing it in flames. The Blundertail shrieks in pain as it's body caught fire. The scorpion-like creature manages to shake off the flames and retaliates by launching fireballs from it's tail, but Spyro leaps out of the way, dodging the fireballs. Next, Spyro uses his Ice Breath, launching an ice bomb from his mouth. The ball of ice lands a direct hit at the head of the Blundertail and explodes in a shockwave of snow, causing the Blundertail to stagger backwards. The Blundertail charges at Spyro and tries to snap at the purple dragon with it's pincers, but he jumps back and counters with a backflip, striking the Blundertail underneath it's chin with his tail. Then, Spyro finishes off the Blundertail by slamming his tail down the creature's head with a somersault, ultimately defeating it.

Now all that was left was the Blundertail that Shara was currently facing. The scorpion-like creature launches fireballs from it's tail at Shara, but the female Keyblade Master deflects the fireballs with her Keyblade, sending them back at the Blundertail, making them hit it's head multiple times. The Blundertail shrieks in pain and staggers back as it was hit by the fireballs. The Blundertail charges at Shara and tries to bring it's tail down on her, but she jumps away just before it's tail could hit her. It was now Shara's turn to attack. Shara performs a cartwheel kick on the Blundertail's head, then swings her Keyblade with an uppercut, striking the Blundertail's jaw, making it stagger backwards. Shara then swings her Keyblade with a downward slash, smashing it down on the Blundertail's head, finishing the fight.

The Blundertails were defeated and Shara and Spyro prevailed victorious.

"Great crowd, huh? I wonder if I can get them to do a wave." Sparx says

"Well done. Well done indeed. Step forward, young dragon and young Keyblade Wielder, and recieve your glory." Scratch says

Suddenly, Shara and Spyro lose consciousness and fall to the floor.

"You waiting for someone to move for you? Don't just lie there. This ain't no puppet show!" Sniff says

"Oh no! Not again!" Sparx says

( _Dreamscape_ )

Shara and Spyro slowly regained consciousness and found themselves in the Dreamscape again standing infront of a green glowing platform.

 _"You've come far, young dragon and young Keyblade Wielder."_ The Chronicler says

"What?! Ignitus said that you would help, but you've only led us on a path to nowhere!" Spyro says

 _"Our path through life is not always the path we choose. Sometimes our paths are chosen for us and it is our destiny to follow it. Wherever it may lead."_ The Chronicler says

Spyro steps onto the green glowing platform and closes his eyes.

 _"Be steady, Spyro, and use the power of the earth to feel your way."_ The Chronicler says

Spyro rises up on his hind legs and hovers in mid-air. The ground began to ripple and a beam of green energy shines through Spyro. Within moments, Spyro opens his eyes and unleashes multiple huge green earth waves.

 _"The power of earth and nature is a mighty one. For as the earth moves, so does everything in it. Be mindful as you wield it."_ The Chronicler says

Shara and Spyro look toward an open doorway infront of them which was blocked off by a wall of green light. The wall disappears, allowing the two heroes to proceed further into the dreamscape. The Keyblade Master and the purple dragon walked through the doorway and came upon a ledge, which just like before, turned out to be a dead end. As they stood there on the ledge, three platforms floated up from the endless abyss below and hovered infront of the two heroes, providing them a path toward another large floating platform up ahead. Shara and Spyro both jumped from platform to platform, making their way up.

When they reached the larger platform, four Stone Trolls stepped down from their pedestals and faced the two heroes armed with stone axes and stone shields. Spyro stepped forward and put his Earth Breath to the test against the Stone Trolls.

Two of the Stone Trolls tried to attack Spyro both at the same time, but the purple dragon opens up his mouth and uses his Earth Flail, creating a giant swirling bomb of green energy connected to a long glowing green chain. Spyro spins around and swats the two Stone Trolls away, sending them flying off the platform. The other two Stone Trolls both try to attack Spyro as well, but the purple dragon does something different. Spyro flips into the air with a somersault, then smacks down on the Stone Trolls, creating green waves of earth energy. The two Stone Trolls both fell down on their backs and they vanished in a flash of light.

Four more Stone Trolls stepped down from their pedestals and approached the two heroes. Spyro rises up on his hind legs and hovers in mid-air. The ground began to ripple and a beam of green energy shines through Spyro. Within moments, Spyro opens his eyes and unleashes multiple huge green earth waves. The trolls were hit by the earth waves and they disappear in a flash of light.

Once the Stone Trolls were dealt with, Shara and Spyro moved on toward the next platform. There, they heard the Chronicler speaking to them again.

 _"You have shown great mastery over the earth, Spyro. Now, let us see if the young Keyblade Wielder can do the same."_ The Chronicler says.

Four Stone Trolls stepped down from their pedestals and approached the two heroes. Shara steps forward and summons her Keyblade into her right-hand. She grabs hold of her Keyblade with both hands and held it close to her right-side.

While the Stone Trolls approached her, Shara held her Keyblade close to her face and closed her eyes. Her body began to emit a bright brown aura with rock particles emanating from both her body and her Keyblade. Just as the Stone Trolls reached her, Shara opened her eyes which briefly flashed with a brown light. She takes her Keyblade and raises it skyward, creating a small earthquake that kicked up pillars of rock around her, forcing the Stone Trolls back.

Shara attacks the first Stone Troll with her Keyblade, swinging a left-diagonal slash, a right slash, a downward slash, and finishes with a reverse roundhouse slash. Each of Shara's strikes kicked up dirt, spraying the Stone Troll with rock debris. Another Stone Troll charges at Shara and swings it's stone axe down on her, but she jump back, performing a backflip and swipes her Keyblade, launching five rock shards at the Stone Troll. Each of the rock shards pierce through the Stone Troll with direct impact and destroys it. Shara raises her Keyblade up into the air, summoning a large boulder above her. She takes her Keyblade and points it at one of the Stone Trolls, sending the boulder flying towards it. Within moments, the boulder smashes down on the Stone Troll, ultimately destroying it. Now, with only one Stone Troll left, Shara raises her Keyblade above her head, causing rocks to form on her Keyblade. Leaping forward, she smashes her Keyblade down on the ground, sending a trail of rocky spikes toward the Stone Troll. The Stone Troll was pierced by the spikes and it disintegrated in a flash of light.

Shara and Spyro moved on to the next platform. There, they encounter four more Stone Trolls that stepped down from their pedestals and approached them. Shara held her Keyblade infront of her face with both hands and closes her eyes as she concentrates on drawing from the power of Earth. A large piece of rock slowly rose up from beneath Shara's feet as she started to levitate in mid-air. A large boulder appeared above Shara and hovered over her. With the power of earth flowing through her, Shara raises her Keyblade and slams it into the ground, creating a powerful earthquake that shakes the ground and causes pillars of rock to burst out of the ground. The large boulder collapses in on itself and detonates in a massive explosion, creating a meteor shower which shot small meteors in every direction, mostly toward the Stone Trolls. Each of the Stone Trolls were struck by the countless number of meteors and they all disintegrate in a flash of light.

Afterwards, Spyro and Shara approach the building with the two dragon statues. They enter the room that had four different symbols and colors on the walls and they walk up to the pool of water. Once they reached the pool, the two heroes look into it.

"I want to know what is happening." Spyro says

"So do I. We've done what you've asked of us and followed your path." Shara says

 _"Yes. But a time will come when you will have to choose your own path and you are not ready. Open your eyes."_ The Chronicler says

Shara and Spyro soon see a vision in the pool, one that showed the Apes and the Unversed converging toward the Mountain of Malefor.

"Why are they going towards it?" Spyro asks

 _"It is their calling. The black hearted creatures of this world cannot resist it's temptation. The Well of Souls beckons them as the Night of Eternal Darkness approaches."_ The Chronicler says

"What is the Night of Eternal Darkness?" Spyro asks

 _"It is the night when the Celestial Moons come together in a great eclipse, one that_  
 _shrouds our world in darkness. The Well of Souls is the pinnacle of it's terrible_  
 _shadow, stirring spirits of the deceased from their eternal rest and permitting them to roam freely within the halls of the mountain, if not for a short while. And_  
 _soon, the Night of Eternal Darkness will be upon us. Find me... in the Celestial_  
 _Caves of the White Isle."_ The Chronicler says

Shara and Spyro continued to stare at the Well of Souls before their vision was blinded by a bright light.

( _The Fellmuth_ )

Shara and Spyro regain consciousness and found themselves back in the Dragon Realms. They both stood up and look around their surroundings. They found themselves back in their cell on the Fellmuth. They soon saw Skabb, Scratch, and Sniff standing infront of them.

"Get up, lazy fool! It's time to bruise, not time to snooze! I-you know, I-I can't  
even look at you. You both disgust me." Sniff says

( _Moments later_ )

Skabb, Scratch, and Sniff host another match for Shara and Spyro to face their next opponent.

"Are you ready for more?! Then without further ado, please give a haaaarrrty  
welcome to Spyro the Dragon and Shara the Keyblade Wielder!" Scratch announces

The gate opens up and Shara and Spyro step into the arena.

"And their opponent, needing little introduction." Scratch announces

"The captain of crunch, the prince of pain himself." Sniff announces

"The one... the only... Ravage Rider!" Scratch announces

The Ravage Rider was a ship piloted by Skavangers shaped like a fish and a sailboat armed with cannons. Shara summons her Keyblade into her right-hand and gets into battle stance. Spyro rears back and also gets into battle stance.

The Ravage Rider attacks first by charging toward Shara and Spyro in an attempt to ram into them, but the two heroes jump over to the sides with Shara leaping to the left and Spyro leaping to the right. Shara throws her Keyblade at the Ravage Rider with a diagonal toss. The Keyblade flies through the air and cuts through the sail of the ship, leaving slash marks all over it. Spyro uses his Fire Breath, launching multiple fireballs at the Ravage Rider. The fireballs hit the right-side of the ship, leaving scorch marks on the hull.

The Ravage Rider attacks again by shooting cannonballs from it's right-side toward Shara and Spyro. Shara holds her Keyblade up in the air, creating a spherical shield of light around herself and Spyro, protecting them from the cannonballs. The cannonballs hit the barrier and explode on impact, but the barrier stood firm, keeping the two heroes safe inside. The barrier soon dissipates giving Spyro a chance to attack. Spyro uses his Ice Breath, launching multiple ice shards from his mouth. The ice shards pierce through the hull of the ship, leaving multiple holes on it.

The Ravage Rider flies toward Shara and Spyro with a frontal charge and unleashes a stream of fire from it's mouth, but Spyro uses his Ice Breath, breathing a stream of ice from his mouth, defending himself and Shara from the flames. The ice douses out the flames giving Shara the chance to attack. Shara spins around and her Keyblade, launching small star-like projectiles at the ship. Each of the projectiles hit the ship with direct impact, creating small explosions. Then, Shara finishes the fight by aiming her Keyblade at the ship and fires more light projectiles at the ship.

The Ravage Rider fell onto the arena defeated and once again Shara and Spyro prevailed victorious.

"Yo, Spyro, Shara, we totally rule! Now maybe we can ask for a room upgrade." Sparx says

( _Moments later_ )

After their match, Shara and Spyro were thrown back in their cell.

"Could we at least order some room service?" Sparx asks

"We need to get out of here. Something terrible is going to happen." Spyro says

"I know. If I don't get some food, I am going to freak out! I got it! Why don't you shoot some sparkly magic outta your face and blow the gate up?" Sparx says

Mole-yair walks up to Shara and Spyro's cell with some grim news.

"Shara, Spyro, you are both in danger. I have a message for you from another  
prisoner. Here, take it." Mole-yair says

"Yahoo! Fan mail!" Sparx says

Shara takes the message from Mole-yair and reads it.

 _"Dear friends, there are whispers going about the ship. Word of your captivity has traveled quickly. Many of the prisoners are uneasy. They say that the Ape King himself and an unknown dark figure has placed a bounty on you and all of the dragons. These are dark times. But know this, you have allies. I look forward to the day when we can meet. Hunter of Avalar."_ Shara reads

"That was thoughtful. I particularly like the part about the dark times and the  
danger." Sparx says

A guard soon comes up to Shara and Spyro's cell.

"It's show time!" The guard says

( _Moments later_ )

"Guests of the Arena! We have exciting news regarding one of our combatants. Shall we bring them out?" Scratch announces

Shara and Spyro step out into the arena.

"There are rumors about that this little purple dragon and this girl may be of  
great importance. What say you, dragon? What greatness can you and your friend offer?" Scratch says

"The only thing great you'll be showing us... is great pain!" Sniff says

"Bring out The Executioner!" Scratch says

The Executioner was a large humanoid creature in golden armor, wielding a long sword and a shield. Shara summons her Keyblade into her right-hand and gets into battle stance with Spyro standing alongside her.

The Executioner swings his sword at Shara and Spyro, but they both jump back to avoid being hit. Spyro uses his Fire Breath, unleashing a stream of fire at the Executioner, but the humanoid holds his shield out in defense. Next, the purple dragon uses his Earth Breath, hitting the Executioner with a giant swirling bomb of green energy. The attack knocked the humanoid's shield out of his grip, leaving him with just his sword. With his shield gone, Spyro charges toward the Executioner and rams into his stomach with his horns. The Executioner lurched forward in pain upon receiving the attack. The purple dragon continues his attack by hitting his opponent with a backflip, striking underneath his chin, making the Executioner stagger back.

The Executioner yelled out in anger and tried to bring his sword down on Spyro, but Shara jumps in and saves the purple dragon by blocking the attack with her Keyblade, holding it up with both hands over her head. Spyro could not believe how strong Shara was. He had the same reaction when he saw Ducar fought the Ice King back on Dante's Freezer. The Executioner was twice her size yet Shara was able to block his sword with no problem.

After blocking the sword of the Executioner, Shara knocks her opponent into the air with a strong uppercut, then knocks him back down a powerful spinning attack. The Executioner slams down on the ground on his back while Shara lands crouched down like a frog. The large humanoid gets up on his feet and grabs his sword. Before he could do anything, Shara sprints towards the Executioner, leaps up, and delivers multiple kicks to his chest, making the humanoid stagger back. Then, Shara spins around and kicks the Executioner in the head before jumping back. Afterwards, Shara aims her Keyblade at the Executioner and fires a salvo of rainbow-colored orbs toward the humanoid. The Executioner was overwhelmed by the attack as he was hit multiple times.

The Executioner fell down on it's back defeated and Shara and Spyro stood victorious.

"Well, well. It appears we are amongst greatness. This little dragon and this  
young girl has defeated everything we have thrown at them. But fret not, oh faithful fans. Tonight, we have a very special bonus match!" Scratch announces

"Cool, a bonus match!" Sparx says

"Spyro the Dragon and Shara the Keyblade Wielder... versus... the former queen of  
conquer herself... Cynder!" Scratch announces

"Cynder?!" Shara and Spyro exclaim shockingly

The gate on the opposite side of the arena opens up and Cynder steps out to face Shara and Spyro.

"Aah! I told you she was evil! Hehe, look, my eye's twitching again." Sparx says

"Just like old times, huh Spyro?" Cynder says

"Cynder, we're not going to fight you." Spyro says

"You're our friend. Don't do this." Shara says

"Relax. I'm just trying to put on a show for the crowd while we figure out what  
to do. Don't worry. I'm on your side." Cynder says

Suddenly, a large mass of darkness began to appear in the center of the arena, surprising Shara, Spyro, and Cynder, not to mention Skabb, Scratch, and Sniff. Reacting on instinct, the heroic trio jumped away from the dark mass, fearing whoever would appear from it.

"What is this?!" Scratch asks

The dark mass soon started to take shape, changing into a tall humanoid figure. It was none other than the Dark Keyblade Master himself, Lord Thanatos draped in a black hooded cloak. Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx were utterly shocked when they saw Lord Thanatos again. Even Shara herself was shocked to see the evil being appear before her.

"Lord Thanatos!" Spyro and Cynder gasp shockingly

"Aaah! Big bad evil dude is back!" Sparx screams

"So, you're Lord Thanatos." Shara says staring down the Dark Keyblade Master

Lord Thanatos stares at the three heroes with a sinister smile on his face although it could not be seen underneath his mask.

 **"AT LAST, WE MEET, WIFE OF DUCAR. OR SHOULD I CALL YOU SHARA?"** Lord Thanatos says

Shara was shocked to hear Lord Thanatos mention her name.

"How do you know my name?!" Shara asks

 **"I KNOW ALL THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS. TERRA, VENTUS, AQUA. YOUR BELOVED HUSBAND, DUCAR. EVEN YOUR PRECIOUS SON, DEVON, THE FUTURE KEYBLADE MASTER OF LIGHT."** Lord Thanatos says

Shara gasps in shock and her eyes widened.

 **"THE NIGHT OF ETERNAL DARKNESS IS DRAWING NEAR. BY IT'S END,** **ALL SHALL BE CONSUMED IN EVERLASTING SHADOW AND** **THE DARK MASTER WILL BE FREED TO SPREAD HIS DARKNESS ACROSS THIS WORLD ONCE MORE. AND NOW, YOU TOO SHALL SUCCUMB TO THE DARKNESS AND YOU WILL YIELD TO IT'S POWER JUST AS YOUR HUSBAND DID!"** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos whips off his cloak, revealing his armor, and held his right-hand out, summoning his Dark Keyblade: The Harbinger of Shadows which appeared in a flash of darkness with black smoke and red sparks. Shara summoned her Keyblade: Faithful Salvation in her right-hand and gets into battle stance with Spyro and Cynder who rear back standing alongside her. Together, the heroic trio prepared themselves for a fight against their most powerful foe ever, Lord Thanatos, the Keyblade Master of Darkness.

 **"THESE PIRATES ARE HERE TO WITNESS THE SHOW OF A LIFETIME, AND I SHALL GRANT THEM THEIR WISH. NOW, THEY WILL ALL WATCH AS EACH OF YOU SUFFER AGAINST MY POWER!"** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos struck first by thrusting his left-hand forward, casting a storm of dark blue lightning bolts from his palm toward Shara who blocks the attack with her Keyblade. Shara leaps toward Lord Thanatos and tries to execute an overhead jumping strike with her Keyblade, but Lord Thanatos simply steps aside causing Shara to miss. Shara spins around and swings her Keyblade at Lord Thanatos. Again, Lord Thanatos dodges Shara's Keyblade by simply leaning his whole body back. Shara swings a horizontal slash at Lord Thanatos. Again, Lord Thanatos dodges Shara's Keyblade by jumping back.

It was now Lord Thanatos' turn to strike. He swings his Dark Keyblade at Shara with a horizontal slash, but Shara blocks against the blow with her Keyblade. next, he swings his Dark Keyblade down at Shara with a downward slash, but again the female Keyblade Master blocks against the attack holding her Keyblade up in defense.

Shara shoves Lord Thanatos back and tries to strike him with a diagonal slash, but he holds his Dark Keyblade in defense of the blow, switching it in a reverse grip. After blocking the attack, Lord Thanatos thrusts his left-hand forward, throwing Shara back with his telekinetic powers. After sending her back, Lord Thanatos switches his grip on his Dark Keyblade, then swings it with a right-slash, a downward slash, an uppercut, and a diagonal slash, launching four dark blue crescent blades of darkness at Shara. Reacting quickly, Shara leapt out of the way of the crescent blades to avoid being sliced by them. She rolled to a stop after dodging the last crescent blade and looked ahead of her, but didn't see Lord Thanatos anywhere. Then, she heard Spyro yelling out to her.

"Shara! Watch out! Above you!" Spyro yells

Shara looked up and gasped in shock. She saw Lord Thanatos heading straight down toward her with his Dark Keyblade raised over his right-shoulder with both hands. As soon as she was in reach, Lord Thanatos brought his Dark Keyblade down on Shara, but the female Keyblade Master leaped back, making the evil being miss. Lord Thanatos lashed out at Shara with some quick slashes, swinging his Dark Keyblade left and right six times, but Shara used her Keyblade to parry against his fierce blows. Then, Lord Thanatos swung his Dark Keyblade with a downward slash, but Shara caught it with her Keyblade, forcing the two warriors in a blade lock. Lord Thanatos pushed against Shara's Keyblade with his powerful strength, forcing her to stagger back.

Then, Lord Thanatos does something unexpected. He shoves Shara back, making her stumble a bit, knocks her Keyblade away with a strong right-slash, then sends his right-knee straight into Shara's stomach, making her lurch forward in pain.

"Guh!" Shara yells out in pain

Shara fell down on one knee and held her stomach with her left-hand. While she was trying to recover from the intense blow, Lord Thanatos towered over her, looking down at her in his pride.

 **"HOW PITIFUL. JUST LIKE YOUR HUSBAND.** **WEAK AND MISGUIDED."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos takes his Dark Keyblade and raises it over his head with both hands, preparing to deal the death blow to Shara. Spyro and Cynder saw this with horrified expressions on their faces.

"Shara!" Spyro and Cynder cry out

Cynder charges at Lord Thanatos to try and save Shara, but her effort proved to be futile as Lord Thanatos thrusts left-hand toward the black dragoness, throwing her back with a dark lightning blast. Spyro uses his Fire Breath, launching multiple fireballs at Lord Thanatos, but the dark being simply stretches his open left-hand out, conjuring a dark blue shield infront of him which protects him from the flames. As soon as the flames dissipates, Lord Thanatos conjures up a dark blue colored electric orb of darkness in his left-hand and hurls it toward Spyro. The purple dragon leaped out of the way just in time before the dark orb could hit him. The orb hits the ground and explodes with a large burst of electricity, sending lightning bolts in all directions. Fortunately, no one was hit.

While Lord Thanatos was distracted by the two dragons, Shara recovered from his brutal attack and rose to her feet. Lord Thanatos turned his attention back toward Shara, but before he could do anything, she kicks him back with a reverse roundhouse kick to his chest, forcing the Dark Keyblade Master back. Lord Thanatos rolled backwards across the ground and slid to a stop.

Shara made her way over to Cynder with Spyro to check up on her after she had been hit by the dark electric blast.

"Cynder, are you alright?" Shara asks

"Yeah. I'm okay." Cynder says

The trio looked back and saw that Lord Thanatos was back on his feet. Shara and Spyro stood infront of Cynder, protecting her from the Dark Keyblade Master. Lord Thanatos started walking towards the heroes, then he started to move faster and faster until he was charging toward them. As the dark being charged toward them, Shara held her Keyblade close to her face with both hands and closed her eyes as she focused on drawing power from the light within her heart. Shara's entire body began to glow with a bright blue aura and her Keyblade was wrapped in light, emitting a glow of the same color. Spyro and Cynder looked up at Shara in amazement while this was happening. Just as the Dark Keyblade Master reached them, Shara opened her eyes which briefly flashed a blue light, pulled her Keyblade back to her right-side, and thrusts it forward, firing a beam of pure light from the tip of her Keyblade. Lord Thanatos stopped and held his Dark Keyblade vertically in defense of the attack, but he was sent back a good feet away from the heroes.

Shara throws her Keyblade at Lord Thanatos with a diagonal toss, landing a direct hit at his chest five times. Her Keyblade was wrapped in light as it flew toward the Dark Keyblade Master with each toss. Next, she jumps toward Lord Thanatos and strikes him with six wide-sweeping slashes, then she swings her Keyblade over her head and finishes with a powerful jumping slash, landing a direct hit to Lord Thanatos' chest, making the Dark Keyblade Master slide back across the ground. Afterwards, Shara aims her Keyblade at Lord Thanatos and launches a salvo of blue colored light orbs from the tip of her Keyblade. Lord Thanatos was struck multiple times by the light orbs. Finally, Shara charges up a powerful blue energy blast of light on the tip of her Keyblade and launches it toward Lord Thanatos. The energy blast lands a hit at Lord Thanatos' chest, sending him flying back across the arena. He soon lands flat on his back and laid there motionless.

Shara, Spyro, and Cynder approach Lord Thanatos cautiously, wondering if he was truly defeated. Their fears were justified as Lord Thanatos levitates up in the air and lands down on his feet. His raised his lowered head up and opened his demonic red eyes, glaring at the heroes.

 **"I CAN SEE THAT YOU ARE STRONG WITH THE LIGHT, SHARA. BUT I HAVE NOT COME HERE TO TOY WITH YOU. I AM HERE FOR THE DRAGON."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos directs his evil gaze toward Cynder, targeting her.

 **"MORE IMPORTANTLY, I AM HERE FOR CYNDER!"** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos extends his right-hand out toward Cynder, ensnaring the black dragoness in a telekinetic grip. Cynder was then quickly pulled over toward Lord Thanatos, flying directly toward him. Lord Thanatos catches Cynder by her throat and holds her within his menacing grip. Cynder flailed her body around to try and free her self from Lord Thanatos' grasp, but to no avail.

"Aaah! Let me go! Shara! Spyro! Help!" Cynder screams out in horror

"Cynder!" Shara and Spyro cry out

 **"I'VE WASTED ENOUGH TIME WITH YOU PATHETIC MORTALS. IF YOU TRULY WISH TO SAVE CYNDER, MEET ME AND THE APE KING IN THE WELL OF SOULS. THERE, WE SHALL BE WAITING."** Lord Thanatos says

Suddenly, the Apes and Unversed appear out of nowhere and attack the ship, going after the Skavangers. As the attack was going on, a dark corridor appeared behind Lord Thanatos.

 **"FAREWELL, MORTALS. I LEAVE YOU HERE TO ROT."** Lord Thanatos says

Having said that, Lord Thanatos hovers backwards into the dark corridor and disappears into the darkness with Cynder, chuckling in his deep, dark, demonic voice.

 **"HM HM HM HM HM... HA HA HA HA HA."** Lord Thanatos chuckles

"No! Cynder!" Shara yells out

Shara and Spyro try to make a run for the dark corridor to try and catch up with Lord Thanatos in order to save Cynder, but the portal closes before they could reach it.

"Shara! Spyro! This way! There's an opening!" Sparx says

Shara, Spyro, and Sparx head down an open gate which led out of the arena and move through the ship. They run down a hallway and meet up with Mole-yair.

"Mole-yair, the ship is under attack. We have to get off this thing!" Spyro says

"Spyro, Shara, please, my companions are still being held prisoner and the chamber gates are locked. We have to find a way to open them." Mole-yair says half-panicked

"I'll get these gates open." Shara says

Shara takes her Keyblade and aims it toward the cell. A bright beam of light shoots out from the tip of Shara's Keyblade. The beam of light hits the cell door and the door swings open, freeing the Manweersmalls.

"Alright. Now, let's get you all out of here." Shara says

Shara, Spyro, and Sparx led the Manweersmalls out of prison block and through the hallways of the ship. They come out through a doorway which led to the outside and find a floating lifeboat.

"There. Get onboard." Spyro says

Mole-yair and his brethren were just about to board the lifeboat when a group of Flood Unversed emerged from the shadows infront of them.

"Aah! Not these things again!" Sparx complains

Two of the Flood leap forward at the Manweersmalls to attack them, but Shara and Spyro move to their rescue, jumping over them and attacking the Unversed. Shara cuts down one Flood with a diagonal slash and Spyro takes out the other Flood with his tail, performing a somersault. The two heroes land infront of the Manweersmalls and make their stand, protecting them from the Unversed.

"Mole-yair! Stay behind us!" Shara says

Three Flood leap forward at Shara, attacking her with their claws, obviously learning nothing from the two Unversed that were struck down. Shara takes her Keyblade and swings it down on the first Unversed that came at her, slicing it in half. She then swings her Keyblade left at the second Flood, then right at the third Flood, taking them both out with just a swipe of her Keyblade.

The four remaining Unversed charge at Spyro with their claws ready, but the purple dragon stood fast. First, he uses his Fire Breath, unleashing a continuous stream of fire upon the first two Unversed, moving his head from left to right, engulfing them in flames. Afterwards, Spyro attacks the next Flood with a spin attack, swiping his tail at the Unversed, sending it flying off the ship. Then, the purple dragon knocks the last remaining Unversed into the air with a backflip, and smacks it down to the ground with a somersault using his tail.

After dealing with the Unversed, the heroes manage to get Mole-yair and his people safely aboard the lifeboat.

"Okay, Mole-yair, you're safe. Get far away from here." Spyro says

"Merci, mon frere, thank you very much. I hope we can meet again... perhaps under better circumstances, hmm?" Mole-yair says

"Good luck, Mole-yair." Shara says

The floating boat soon flies off with Mole-yair and his people, taking them to safety.

"Hey, that guy just gave me an idea. Why don't we get off the burning boat?!" Sparx says

"Not yet. We need a map to a place called the White Isle... and I think I know where we can find one." Spyro says

"You know I hate you right?" Sparx says

Shara, Spyro, and Sparx head back into the ship and move through the burning hallways. They soon find the Captain's Quarters where inside were piles of gold and jewels.

"Wow. Look at this stuff." Spyro says

"Oh yeah sure. Take your time. Look around. It's not like we're about to plummet to our  
deaths in a heap of flaming-" Sparx says

"Alright. You've made your point. Let's find the map." Spyro says

"Spyro, Sparx, over here. I think I found it." Shara says

Shara stood next to a table which had a map on it. Spyro and Sparx headed over to Shara and they looked down at the map.

"Here. I believe this is it. 'The White Isle'." Shara says

"That's where the Chronicler said we should meet him." Spyro says

"Let's hope it's not far from where we are." Shara says

Suddenly, the heroes heard the sound of footsteps coming from behind them. They turn around and saw Skabb, Scratch and Sniff approaching them.

"Well... if it isn't the purple menace and the wretched girl. We hope you weren't  
thinking of leaving." Scratch says

"Yeah. We got a score to settle, chump!" Sniff says

"Hey! Who you calling chump?" Sparx says

"You! Fool! You!" Sniff says

"It's astounding... the amount of trouble you both managed to cause." Scratch says

"You've brought this upon yourselves." Shara says

"You gonna let her talk to you that way, doodle-brain?" Sniff says

Skabb nods yes.

"Shut up, fool! Fire the cannon!" Sniff says

Skabb fires the large cannon strapped on his back toward the window behind Shara, Spyro, and Sparx, making them duck down.

"This is where we part ways." Scratch says

"So long, chumps!" Sniff says

Skabb jumps out the window and takes off with Scratch and Sniff flying him to the safety of another ship. The three heroes were surprised when they saw that. Skabb was nothing more than a large, dimwitted, canine-like pirate yet the two small bird-like creatures were able to fly away with him in their grip.

"What? How is that even possible?" Spyro asks

"We can't just let them get away. We're going after them, right? Wait, did I just  
say that out loud?" Sparx says

Shara runs straight toward the window and throws her Keyblade outside. She jumps out from the window and switches into her Keyblade Armor, pressing down on her left-pauldron with her right-hand. A bright light quickly envelopes the female Keyblade Master, making her Keyblade Armor appear. Shara's Keyblade Glider flies up from underneath and catches her. Spyro and Sparx fly out the window and follow her.

The three heroes pursue the enormous pirate as he flies past a small fleet of ships. The ships fire their cannons at the two heroes, trying to hit them with some cannonballs, but they fly up and down, evading the cannonballs. The heroic trio soon confront Skabb, Scratch and Sniff on the lead ship, landing on the large deck. As soon as they land, Shara switches back into her regular clothing in a flash of light, making her Keyblade Armor disappear. Her Keyblade Glider disappears and her Keyblade reappears into her right-hand.

"Sucka, you just don't know when to quit." Sniff says

"Then, you don't know us very well. I quit all the time." Sparx says

Shara and Spyro both look at Sparx with dead-panned looks on their faces.

"Sorry. I thought that was gonna sound cooler." Sparx says

Shara draws her Keyblade over to her right-side, holding it with both hands and gets into battle stance with Spyro who rears back and stands alongside her.

Skabb strikes first by charging at the two heroes and swinging his cutlass down at them. Shara stood infront of Spyro and blocked against the cutlass with her Keyblade, holding it up horizontally in defense. While Shara held back Skabb's cutlass, Spyro rams into the canine pirate's chest, knocking him back. Shara leaps forward at Skabb and bashes his head with an overhead strike, making the enormous pirate stagger back.

Skabb launches his elastic hook at Shara and Spyro, but the two heroes leap away to the sides, dodging the hook. Skabb tries to retract his hook back to him, but it was caught stuck in the deck of the ship, leaving him open for attack. Spyro charges at Skabb and hits the pirate with a backflip, striking him underneath his chin. The purple dragon follows up with a spin attack, spinning around left and right, swinging his tail into Skabb's head. He then brought his tail down on Skabb's head, performing a somersault. Shara sprints toward Skabb with a frontal charge and spins around, swinging her Keyblade at the pirate with a left slash, striking the left-side of his head. She then spins around and strikes him again with a right-slash. Skabb shakes his head after receiving the blows from Shara and swings his hook at her and Spyro. The two heroes jump away from the pirate, dodging his hook hand.

The large pirate fires ten small cannonballs from the cannon on his back at Shara and Spyro, but the two heroes quickly move out of the way, dodging the cannonballs as they flew toward them. Each of the cannonballs miss their targets and explode on the ground. Spyro uses his Fire Breath to attack, launching four fireballs at Skabb. Each of the fireballs hit their mark, landing a hit to Skabb's chest, making him stumble back. Shara swings her Keyblade with a right slash and launches six blue blasts of light at Skabb. Each of the light blasts land a hit to Skabb's chest, making the pirate stumble back even more.

Just when they thought they had Skabb on the run, Skabb raises his cutlass and dark purple lightning strikes the blade, temporarily empowering Skabb and his blade with ghostly energy. He then comes at Spyro and Shara, swinging his cutlass wildly at them. Shara and Spyro jump away from Skabb, keeping their distance away from his sword strikes. Skabb leaps up and stabs his cutlass down into the center, releasing seven shockwaves of pink electricity. Shara and Spyro jump up into the air, dodging the shockwaves as they spread across the ground. Skabb was soon left weakened after releasing all of the ghostly energy, giving Shara and Spyro the opportunity to strike.

Spyro uses his Earth Breath, hitting Skabb's head with a giant swirling bomb of green energy. The purple dragon swings his head left and right, making the earth bomb smash against Skabb's head numerous times. Skabb raises his cutlass over his head and swings it down to try and strike Spyro, but the purple dragon leaps over to the right, dodging the sword as it strikes the ground.

After missing the purple dragon, Skabb turns his attention toward Shara and started to approach her. Shara stood her ground and held her Keyblade infront of her. She closed her eyes and began concentrating on summoning the light within her. Just like her battle with Lord Thanatos, Shara began to glow with bright blue aura and her Keyblade radiated a bright aura of the same color. Just as Skabb reaches her, Shara opens her eyes, crosses her arms, and thrusts them out, causing a bright light to shine from her body. Skabb was thrown back by the intense light and he fell down on his back. The large pirate got back on his feet and saw that Shara was now glowing with pure light. Before he could do anything, Shara strikes Skabb with a barrage of at least twenty rapid strikes from her Keyblade. She then hits him with six rapid strikes, a spin attack, and finishes with six rapid strikes, cutting slash marks of light into the ground.

Skabb stumbles backward after receiving the assault of attacks from the two heroes. He wobbles backwards toward a plank and falls off the ship. Scratch and Sniff fly away.

"Now that they're taken care of, let's go find the Chronicler." Shara says

Shara presses on her left-pauldron with her right-hand and a bright light envelopes her body, illuminating the area. When the light dims down, Shara was in her Keyblade Armor. Shara throws her Keyblade up into the air with an underhand toss. Shara's Keyblade changes into her Keyblade Glider and it flies down to her. Shara jumps onto her Keyblade Glider and looks toward Spyro and Sparx.

"Let's get out of here." Shara says

"Right behind ya, sister." Sparx says

With that said, Shara, Spyro, and Sparx take off into the air.

"Alright. So where to now?" Sparx says

"We didn't get a good look at the map, but there's gotta be some sort of landmark." Shara says

"Sure. I'll just keep my eyes peeled for the flashing sign that says spooky moon temple." Sparx says

Suddenly, Shara and Spyro lose consciousness and fall toward the water down below. Shara loses consciousness and falls off her Keyblade Glider falling down toward the water.

"Oh come on! Not again!" Sparx says

Shara and Spyro fall into the ocean and sink deep toward the bottom of the ocean floor. They land on a large sea turtle which swims up to the surface and carries the across the ocean. But the only question was where?

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Epic chapter right here! Lots of fighting here. Shara and Spyro are brought onto the Fellmuth where they were forced to fight against monsters for entertainment. Battle after battle, Shara and Spyro defeated many challenges the Skavangers threw at them. After their first battle, they were summoned by the Chronicler and were told more about the Well of Souls and the Night of Eternal Darkness. He also told them to find him at the Celestial Caves at the White Isle. Afterwards, Shara and Spyro received a message from another prisoner called Hunter of Avalar, saying that he had become their ally. Then, Shara and Spyro was forced to fight Cynder in a final match, but she is on their side. Unfortunately, their plan for escape was cut short by a sudden attack from the Apes, the Unversed, and surprisingly Lord Thanatos. Shara and Spyro fight Lord Thanatos in an epic battle, but he soon flees with Cynder as his captive while the Apes and Unversed lay siege to the ship. With the Skavengers in chaos, Spyro and Shara face off and defeat Skabb, and then escape. Now, Shara and Spyro have fallen unconscious again and sink into the ocean. Fortunately for them, a large sea turtle brings them to the surface and carries them across the ocean. But where is the sea turtle taking them? Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	13. The White Isle

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _Dreamscape_ )

Shara and Spyro slowly regained consciousness and found themselves in the Dreamscape again standing infront of a yellow glowing platform.

"Something's not right. W-why is it so dark here? Can you hear me? Is anyone there? We want to know what has happened to Cynder!" Spyro says

 _"A flash of lightning is born over the sky and it's tempers, young dragon. You must learn to control your own emotions if you are to tame the free spirit of electricity."_ The Chronicler says

Spyro steps onto the yellow glowing platform and closes his eyes.

 _"Surrender to it's erratic nature. Allow it's energy to charge through your body and anticipate it's movement... then... unleash it... willingly."_ The Chronicler says

Spyro rises up on his hind legs and hovers in mid-air. Electricity began to spark on Spyro's body. Within moments, Spyro opens his eyes and unleashes a shockwave of electricity.

 _"This power is accentuated by your impulsive nature. Trust your instincts, Spyro."_ The Chronicler says

Shara and Spyro look toward an open doorway infront of them which was blocked off by a wall of yellow light and electricity. The wall disappears, allowing the two heroes to proceed further into the dreamscape. The Keyblade Master and the purple dragon walked through the doorway and came upon a ledge, which just like before, turned out to be a dead end. As they stood there on the ledge, three platforms floated up from the endless abyss below and hovered infront of the two heroes, providing them a path toward another large floating platform up ahead. Shara and Spyro both jumped from platform to platform, making their way up.

When they reached the larger platform, four Stone Trolls stepped down from their pedestals and faced the two heroes armed with stone axes and stone shields. Spyro stepped forward and put his Electric Breath to the test against the Stone Trolls.

Two of the Stone Trolls charged at Spyro with their stone axe raised over their heads. Spyro opened his mouth and a yellow orb of electricity began charging up. When it was fully charged, Spyro launches it toward the Stone Trolls. Upon impact, the electric orb explodes, blasting the two Stone Trolls away with lightning bolts. The other two Stone Troll try to attack Spyro, but the purple dragon spins around in the air, creating a small electric twister which launches the Stone Troll in the air, sending them flying off the platform.

Spyro rises up on his hind legs and hovers in mid-air. Electricity began to spark on Spyro's body. Within moments, Spyro opens his eyes and unleashes a shockwave of electricity. The Stone Trolls were hit by the electric shockwave and they disappear in a flash of light.

Once the Stone Trolls were dealt with, Shara and Spyro moved on toward the next platform. There, they heard the Chronicler speaking to them again.

 _"You have done commendably, Spyro. Now, it is time for the Keyblade Wielder to test her ability to wield the element of electricity."_ The Chronicler says

Four Stone Trolls stepped down from their pedestals and approached the two heroes. Shara steps forward and summons her Keyblade into her right-hand. She grabs hold of her Keyblade with both hands and held it close to her right-side.

While the Stone Trolls approached her, Shara held her Keyblade close to her face and closed her eyes. Her body began to emit a bright yellow-green aura with sparks of electricity emanating from both her body and her Keyblade. Just as the Stone Trolls reached her, Shara opened her eyes which briefly flashed with a yellow light. She crosses her arms, then thrusts them out, unleashing a shockwave of electricity, forcing the Stone Trolls back.

Shara attacks the first Stone Troll with a downward slash, left slash, right slash, an uppercut, and finishes with a roundhouse slash. Each strike delivered created lightning bolts which electrocuted the Stone Troll. Two more Stone Trolls tried to attack Shara at once, but the female Keyblade Master aims her Keyblade at them and fired several electric blasts from the tip of her Keyblade. The Stone Trolls were hit by the electric blasts and were vaporized upon impact. One of the remaining Stone Trolls swings it's axe down on Shara, but she jumps back, leaping away from the attack. She then wraps herself in lightning and dives down on the Stone Troll with her Keyblade, taking it out with a downward slash. With only one Stone Troll left, Shara aims her Keyblade at it and unleashes multiple lightning bolts from the tip of her Keyblade. The Stone Troll was violently electrocuted by the attack and it disintegrated in a flash of light.

Shara and Spyro moved on to the next platform. There, they encounter four more Stone Trolls that stepped down from their pedestals and approached them. Shara held her Keyblade infront of her face with both hands and closes her eyes as she concentrates on drawing from the power of Electricity. Shara's body began to spark with electricity which started to intensify with each passing moment. With the power of electricity surging through her body, Shara opens her eyes and thrusts her Keyblade upwards, summoning an orb of electricity that rained lightning bolts down upon the Stone Trolls. Each of the Stone Trolls were electrocuted by the powerful discharge of lightning bolts and they disintegrated in a flash of light.

Afterwards, Spyro and Shara approach the building with the two dragon statues. They enter the room that had four different symbols and colors on the walls and they walk up to the pool of water. Once they reached the pool, Spyro spoke into the room, hoping that the Chronicler would speak to them.

"Okay. We've completed your test. What do we do next? How can we find you? Are you there?" Spyro says

Nothing but silence filled the room.

"Great, now the voice in my head is ignoring me." Spyro says

"Maybe there's something we'll see in this pool. Let's take a look." Shara says

Shara and Spyro look into the pool and see a vision. In this vision, they saw  
Cynder in chains, standing before Lord Thanatos and Gaul, the Ape King. Lord Thanatos sat on a throne while Gaul stood alongside him. The Unversed and the Apes stood in the room with the two villains.

"So... the traitor returns." Gaul says

 **"CYNDER, SO NICE OF YOU TO JOIN US IN OUR SOLITUDE. YOU KNOW, WE NEED IT."** Lord Thanatos says

"You can't go through with this, Lord Thanatos!" Cynder says

 **"NOTHING CAN PREVENT THIS. TONIGHT, ON THIS NIGHT OF ETERNAL DARKNESS, WE HAVE GATHERED HERE TO WELCOME THE DARK DRAGON, MALEFOR BACK INTO THE REALM OF THE LIVING AND TO HAVE HIM JOIN OUR CAUSE. BUT FEAR NOT, CYNDER, YOU'VE BEEN SUCH A FAITHFUL SERVANT TO BOTH ME AND MALEFOR. I'M SURE MY MASTER, THE DARK LORD OF THE SHADOWS WILL TAKE YOU BACK. AND IF HE DOESN'T, YOU WILL HAVE THE HONOR OF BEING THE FIRST VICTIM TO PERISH BY HIS HAND."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos rose up from the throne and stood up on his feet.

 **"FOR AN ETERNITY WE HAVE WAITED. FOR AN ETERNITY WE HAVE ENDURED SUFFERING. BUT SOON, THE DARK LORD OF THE SHADOWS WILL RISE TO POWER AND HIS REEMERGENCE SHALL BRING FORTH A NEW AGE OF DARKNESS! A NEW AGE IN HISTORY. THE GREAT WORLD CONQUEST SHALL SOON BEGIN! ALL THE WORLDS SHALL FALL INTO DARKNESS AND ALL SHALL YIELD TO OUR POWER. THE UNIVERSE WILL BE OURS TO COMMAND!"** Lord Thanatos says

Shara and Spyro continued to stare at the scene before their vision was blinded by a bright light.

( _The White Isle_ )

The large sea turtle that had carried Shara and Spyro left them at the White Isle and returned to the ocean.

"Goodbye, freaky little turtle monster! Thanks for everything!" Sparx says

Shara and Spyro soon regain consciousness and look around their surroundings. They found themselves on a white sandy beach on an island surrounded by the sea.

"What happened?" Shara asks

"Well let's see, you and Spyro have been hearing voices in your head and have led us all over the place which has been great because we're having so much fun, and now we're stranded on an enchanted island and I just can't wait to see what happens next!" Sparx says

The trio turned around and looked upon the entrance of a large cavern.

"Wait. I think we're here." Spyro says

"Oh goodie." Sparx says

"No, I think Spyro is right. This must be the White Isle." Shara says

"Then, let's go inside. The Chronicler must be waiting for us." Spyro says

With that said, the heroic trio entered the Celestial Caves and began exploring the isle. As they proceeded through the remote set of caves, they looked around their surroundings. Strange dark-colored grasses grew on the ground and there some bones of dead creatures that littered the ground as well.

Shara, Spyro, and Sparx soon found themselves standing before a massive temple. They stepped into the temple grounds and walked forward toward the temple that stood before them. They soon heard a voice that echoed all around them.

 _"Sacred Threshold... Hallowed Ground... Pathways Unfold... Lost is Found... Prove_  
 _your Worth with Great Desire... Ice and Earth, Electric... Fire..."_ The voice says

"What the? Now I'm hearing voices." Sparx says

"What does that mean?" Spyro says

"How would I know?" Sparx asks

"Maybe we've missed something. Why don't we take a look around." Shara says

"Right." Spyro says

The heroes took a look around the area, searching for anything that would help them get into the temple. Shara soon notices four individual pedestals, two pairs on the left and right sides of the temple.

"What do you suppose these pedestals are for?" Shara asks

"Maybe they're meant to hold something." Spyro says

"Like what?" Sparx asks

Suddenly, the trio were attacked by four Crystal Ball Spiders which dropped down from above the temple. Shara and Spyro jumped back and made their stand. Shara summoned her Keyblade: Faithful Salvation into her hands and drew it to her right-side while Spyro reared back and stood alongside her.

The first spider leapt at Shara for an attack, but she quickly brought it down with a downward slash from her Keyblade. Another spider charged at Shara, spinning it's legs toward her, but she jumps over it with a twist, and strikes it's back with her Keyblade while in the air. The spider let out a shriek of pain, stumbling around a bit, then collapsed onto the ground defeated.

Now, all that was left was the two Crystal Ball Spiders that Spyro was facing. One of the spiders charged at Spyro, but he rams his horns into it, stopping the spider midway. He then leaps up and performs a somersault, bringing his tail down on the spider, efficiently taking it out of commission. The last remaining spider charged at Spyro, spinning it's legs at him, but the purple dragon knocked it into the air with a backflip, making it fall down on it's back. From there, Spyro leaps into the air with a somersault, and he dives down on the spider's stomach with his horns.

All four of the Crystal Ball Spiders were defeated and they all disintegrated in a flash of light, leaving only the crystal balls behind. Seeing that the crystal balls were left behind gave Shara an idea.

"Hey, why don't we use the crystal balls those spiders left behind. Maybe they're meant to be used for the pedestals." Shara says

"Good idea, Shara." Spyro says

Shara de-summoned her Keyblade, went over to pick up one of the crystal balls, and she placed onto the pedestal on the far left side. She then proceeded to place the remaining crystal balls on the other pedestals. Once the crystal balls were put into place, the heroes expected the door to the temple to open for them, but nothing happened, leaving them confused.

"Uh, shouldn't the doors be opening by now?" Sparx asks

"Maybe there's more to it, Sparx." Spyro says

As she stood there pondering, Shara thought toward what the mysterious voice said when they arrived.

 _"Sacred Threshold... Hallowed Ground... Pathways Unfold... Lost is Found... Prove  
_ _your Worth with Great Desire... Ice and Earth, Electric... Fire..._ _"_

"Ice... Earth... Electricity... and Fire." Shara says

Shara soon realized what else the crystal balls were for.

"That's it! I know how we can get inside. The crystals must be charged up with some elemental magic." Shara says

Shara looks down at Spyro.

"Spyro, use your Ice Breath on that crystal ball over on the far left." Shara says pointing toward the pedestal on the left side

Spyro nods in acknowledgment and went over to the pedestal on the left. He then breathes a stream of ice upon the crystal ball, causing it to glow with an icy blue aura.

"Good. Now use your Earth Breath on the next one." Shara says

Spyro lets loose a green light from his mouth upon the crystal ball, causing it to glow with a green aura.

"Okay. Now hit the first one on the right with your Electric Breath." Shara says

Spyro walked over to the right side and approached the pedestal. He then releases small bolts of electricity upon the crystal ball, causing it to glow with a yellow aura.

"Now use your Fire Breath on the last one." Shara says

Spyro walked over to the last pedestal and used his Fire Breath, breathing a small flame from his mouth upon the crystal ball, causing it to glow with a fiery red aura.

With all of the crystal balls glowing with the elemental magic, the doors to the temple opened up, allowing the heroes to enter.

"That did it. Let's go see what's inside." Shara says

The heroes head on through the entrance and see a large book floating infront of them. The trio looked confused upon seeing this. The book then floated down the hallway and the heroes followed it. They soon came upon a chamber with red, blue, yellow, and green glyphs on the walls and surrounding stones. Each of these represented Fire, Ice, Electricity, and Earth. In the center of the room was a central platform.

"Okay. Now what?" Sparx asks

The walls with the glowing glyphs suddenly split apart one by one, revealing portals of the same color.

"I think we're supposed to be tested." Spyro says

"I think you're right, Spyro. The Chronicler wants to test us." Shara says

The trio head through the Fire Portal and they found themselves standing in a large chamber. They looked ahead of them and saw the Fire Spirit standing before them, which turned out to be a large humanoid warrior wearing red colored armor wreathed in flames, wielding a club and a shield.

The Fire Spirit swings it's club down on Spyro, but the purple dragon jumps back and counters the attack with a fireball. He then unleashes a stream of fire from his mouth upon the Elemental Spirit. The Fire Spirit tries to stomp down on Spyro with his right-foot, but he jumps over to the right and rams his horns into it's side. Then, Spyro rams into the Fire Spirit's stomach with his horns while his body was enveloped in flames.

Spyro finishes his assault by using his Fire Fury. The purple dragon rises up on his hind legs and hovers in mid-air. Fire began to swirl around the purple dragon, leaving trails of flames. Within moments, Spyro opens his eyes and unleashes a powerful wave of fire, knocking the Fire Spirit back.

Now, it was Shara's turn to attack. Shara held her Keyblade close to her face and she closed her eyes. Her body began to emit a bright red aura and flames started to engulf both her body and his Keyblade. Just as the Stone Trolls reached her, Shara opened her eyes which briefly had fire burning inside them. She swung her Keyblade around her body, causing flames to swirl around her. She soon swung her Keyblade with a right slash, sending a wall of fire toward the Fire Spirit, making him stagger back.

Shara rushes forward at the Elemental Spirit with her body cloaked in flames and strikes it's chest with a left slash. The Fire Spirit tries to strike Shara with it's club, but she jumps back into the air and tosses her flaming Keyblade with a twirl. Her Keyblade lands a clean hit across the stomach, then it flies back around like a boomerang and hits the back of the spirit's head just before Shara catches it in her hand. Shara lands back down on the ground, aims her Keyblade at the Fire Spirit and launches three fireballs from the tip of her Keyblade. Each of the fireballs hit their mark, landing a hit at the Fire Spirit's chest.

With the Fire Spirit weakened, Shara held her Keyblade infront of her face with both hands and closes her eyes as she concentrates on drawing from the power of Fire. Shara began to levitate in mid-air with a ball of fire encasing her inside, and multiple streams of fire swirling around her entire body. With the fiery power of fire flowing through her body, Shara crosses his arms, then thrusts them out, causing a powerful shockwave of fire to explode from her body, making the Fire Spirit stagger back.

The Fire Spirit fell down on his knees, then collapsed face forward on the floor before disappearing in a flash of light. Having passed the trial, a white portal appeared in the center of the chamber infront of Shara and Spyro. The heroes entered the portal and arrived back in the main chamber.

After passing the Trial of Fire, the trio head through the Ice Portal and found themselves standing in a large chamber. They soon saw the Ice Spirit approaching them, which looked exactly like the Fire Spirit, only he was wearing blue colored armor.

The Ice Spirit swings it's club down at Spyro, but the purple dragon jumps over to the left, and counters the attack by slamming his tail at the spirit's head while his tail was covered in ice. The Ice Spirit tries to stomp down on Spyro, but the purple dragon launches an polar bomb from his mouth, shooting a ball of ice at the Elemental Spirit. Upon impact, the polar bomb explodes in a cloud of ice, blowing away the Ice Spirit.

Spyro finishes his assault by using his Ice Fury. The purple dragon rises up on his hind legs and hovers in mid-air. Shards of ice began to swirl around the purple dragon, leaving frosty trails of icy wind. Within moments, Spyro opens his eyes and unleashes a powerful wave of ice, sending the ice shards in multiple directions, mostly toward the Ice Spirit.

It was now Shara's turn to strike. Shara held her Keyblade close to her face and closed her eyes. Her body began to emit an icy blue aura and particles of ice started to emanate from both her body and her Keyblade. Shara soon opened her eyes which briefly flashed a white light. She swung her Keyblade around her body, causing streams of ice to swirl around her. She soon swung her Keyblade with a right slash, sending a gust of ice blowing toward the Ice Spirit, knocking it back.

Shara rushes toward the Elemental Spirit with her body wrapped in light blue ice crystals, and swings her Keyblade, striking the spirit directly in the chest. She then jumps off the spirit's chest, performing a backflip in the air and swings her Keyblade, launching five ice shards at the spirit. Each of the ice shards hit their mark on the Ice Spirit. Shara lands back on the ground and throws her Keyblade at the Elemental Spirit with a left-diagonal toss. The Keyblade flies toward the spirit with ice particles enveloping it. Within moments, the Keyblade hits the Ice Spirit's head with a direct hit, leaving it dazed.

With the Ice Spirit left weakened, Shara held her Keyblade infront of her face with both hands and closes her eyes as she concentrates on drawing from the power of Ice. A large glacier slowly rose up from beneath Shara's feet as she started to levitate in mid-air. A veil of frosty wind swirled around Shara as she conjured up the attack. Large chunks of ice appeared around Shara surrounding her and they started to spin around her. Another large chunk of ice, much bigger than the other ones, appeared above Shara and it hovered over her. With the sheer cold power of ice flowing through her body, Shara opens her eyes which briefly emitted a light blue aura, crosses her arms, then thrusts them out, causing the chunks of ice explode, sending multiple ice shards in every direction, mostly toward the Ice Spirit.

The Ice Spirit fell down on his knees, then collapsed face forward on the floor before disappearing in a flash of light. Having passed the trial, the white portal appeared in the center of the chamber infront of Shara and Spyro. The heroes entered the portal and returned back to the main chamber.

After passing the Trial of Ice, the trio head through the Earth Portal and found themselves in another large chamber. Inside, they saw the Earth Spirit standing before them, which looked exactly like the first two Elemental Spirits, only he was wearing green colored armor.

The Earth Spirit, tried to smash it's club down on Spyro, but the purple dragon opens up his mouth and uses his Earth Flail, creating a giant swirling bomb of green energy connected to a long glowing green chain. Spyro spins around and smashes the giant bomb into the spirit's right-side. The Earth Spirit tries to stomp down on Spyro with it's left-foot, but the purple dragon does something different. Spyro flips into the air with a somersault, then smacks down on the Elemental Spirit's head, creating green waves of earth energy.

Spyro finishes his assault by using his Earth Fury. The purple dragon rises up on his hind legs and hovers in mid-air. The ground began to ripple and a beam of green energy shines through Spyro. Within moments, Spyro opens his eyes and unleashes multiple huge green earth waves.

It was now Shara's time to dish out some damage. Shara held her Keyblade close to her face and closed her eyes. Her body began to emit a bright brown aura with rock particles emanating from both her body and her Keyblade. Shara soon opened her eyes which briefly flashed with a brown light. She takes her Keyblade and raises it skyward, creating a small earthquake that kicked up pillars of rock around her, forcing the Earth Spirit back.

Shara attacks the Elemental Spirit with her Keyblade, swinging with a left slash, a right slash, an uppercut, a downward slash, and finishes with a reverse roundhouse slash. Each of Shara's strikes kicked up dirt, spraying the Earth Spirit with rock debris. The Earth Spirit swinged it's club down on Shara, but she jump back, performing a backflip and swipes her Keyblade, launching five rock shards at the Elemental Spirit. Each of the rock shards hit the Earth Spirit's chest with direct impact. Then, Shara raises her Keyblade up into the air, summoning a large boulder above her. She takes her Keyblade and points it at the Earth Spirit, sending the boulder flying towards it. Within moments, the boulder smashes down on the spirit's head, leaving it dazed by the blow.

With the Earth Spirit left weakened, Shara held her Keyblade infront of her face with both hands and closes her eyes as she concentrates on drawing from the power of Earth. A large piece of rock slowly rose up from beneath Shara's feet as she started to levitate in mid-air. A large boulder appeared above Shara and hovered over her. With the power of earth flowing through her, Shara raises her Keyblade and slams it into the ground, creating a powerful earthquake that shakes the ground and causes pillars of rock to burst out of the ground. The large boulder collapses in on itself and detonates in a massive explosion, creating a meteor shower which shot small meteors toward the Earth Spirit.

The Earth Spirit fell down on his knees, then collapsed face forward on the floor before disappearing in a flash of light. Having passed the trial, the white portal appeared in the center of the chamber infront of Shara and Spyro. The heroes entered the portal and returned to the main chamber.

After passing the Trial of Earth, the trio head through the Electricity Portal and found themselves in another large chamber. They looked ahead of them and saw the Electric Spirit standing before them, which looked exactly like the other Elemental Spirits, only he was wearing yellow colored armor wrapped with electricity.

Spyro opened his mouth and a yellow orb of electricity began charging up. When it was fully charged, Spyro launches it toward the Electric Spirit. Upon impact, the electric orb explodes, blasting the Elemental Spirit with a torrent of lightning bolts. The Electric Spirit tried to bring his club down on Spyro, but the purple dragon leaps out of the way and spins around in the air, creating a small electric twister which lands multiple hits to the Elemental Spirit.

Spyro finishes his assault by using his Electric Fury. The purple dragon rises up on his hind legs and hovers in mid-air. Electricity began to spark on Spyro's body. Within moments, Spyro opens his eyes and unleashes a shockwave of electricity, sending the Electric Spirit back.

Now, it was Shara's turn to attack. Shara held her Keyblade close to her face and closed her eyes. Her body began to emit a bright yellow-green aura with sparks of electricity emanating from both her body and her Keyblade. She soon opened her eyes which briefly flashed with a yellow light. She crosses her arms, then thrusts them out, unleashing a shockwave of electricity.

Shara attacks the Electric Spirit with several quick strikes. Each strike delivered created lightning bolts which electrocuted the Elemental Spirit. Afterwards, Shara aims her Keyblade at the spirit and fired several electric blasts from the tip of her Keyblade. Each of the electric blasts land a direct hit at the Electric Spirit's chest. The Elemental Spirit swings it's club down on Shara, but she jumps back, leaping away from the attack. She then wraps herself in lightning and dives down on the Electric Spirit with her Keyblade, smashing down on it's head with a downward slash. Shara jumps away from the Electric Spirit, aims her Keyblade at it, and unleashes multiple lightning bolts from the tip of her Keyblade. The Elemental Spirit was violently electrocuted by the attack and was left stunned.

With the Electric Spirit left weakened, Shara held her Keyblade infront of her face with both hands and closes her eyes as she concentrates on drawing from the power of Electricity. Shara's body began to spark with electricity which started to intensify with each passing moment. With the power of electricity surging through her body, Shara opens her eyes and thrusts her Keyblade upwards, summoning an orb of electricity that rained lightning bolts down upon the Electric Spirit.

The Electric Spirit fell down on his knees, then collapsed face forward on the floor before disappearing in a flash of light. Having passed the trial, the white portal appeared in the center of the chamber infront of Shara and Spyro. The heroes entered the portal and returned back in the main chamber.

Having completed the trials, Shara and Spyro saw that the central platform in the center of the chamber was now glowing white.

"Hold on. I think we found it. Hello? Is anyone there?" Spyro says

"Hey! If there is... could we... you know... not wake it up? Because... everything we've met so far has tried to kill us." Sparx says

 _"Expose your heart to summon ghost, then face alone what you fear most."_ The voice says

"I knew it! This place wants us dead! We should've turned back while we had a chance!" Sparx says

"We have to do this, Sparx." Spyro says

"Spyro's right. We can't turn back now." Shara says

"Yeah. Go ahead. Expose your heart and see what happens!" Sparx says

Shara and Spyro were about to step onto the glowing platform when Sparx flies up infront of them.

"Wait! Don't do it! You can't leave me behind in the wacky moon temple with all the whispering wall and crawly thingies! They wanna make me a part of their freak show!" Sparx says

Ignoring Sparx, Shara and Spyro step onto the platform and a bright light envelopes the area.

( _Elsewhere_ )

The light soon dims down and the two heroes found themselves on a large floating platform with a red, blue, green, and yellow crystal surrounding them. The environment around them was filled with darkness. Dark clouds surrounded them with dark blue colored lightning bolts illuminating the area.

Shara and Spyro looked ahead of them and saw two figures standing infront of them. What they both saw was a red-colored Elemental Dragon shaped like Cynder back when she was corrupted by Lord Thanatos and Malefor. And standing before the Elemental Dragon was surprisingly Shara's husband, Ducar.

Ducar's entire body radiated a black and blue aura of darkness and sparked with dark blue electricity. His Keyblade glowed with a dark blue aura of darkness. His eyes were demonic looking, having a black slit pupil, glowing red with pure evil. His body was also lined with several blue veins which glowed underneath his skin. It turns out this was what Shara feared most of all: her husband consumed by the darkness in his heart.

Shara summoned her Keyblade into her right-hand and got into battle stance with Spyro who reared back and stood alongside her. Both sides prepared themselves for a powerful, epic battle.

Shara faced against her husband, Ducar, while Spyro faced against the Elemental Dragon.

The Elemental Dragon attacks first by jumping toward Spyro who leaps out of the way. Next, the Elemental Dragon swings it's tail at Spyro, but he jumps over the dragon's tail. Spyro uses his Fire Breath, launching multiple fireballs at the dragon. Each of the fireballs hit their mark, landing a hit at the dragon's chest. The Elemental Dragon tries swinging it's tail at Spyro again, but the purple dragon jumps back, and blasts it with a stream of fire unleashed from his mouth.

The Elemental Dragon tried swiping it's right-wing at Spyro, but the purple dragon leaps out of the way and spins around in the air, countering with a small electric twister which lands multiple hits to the dragon. The Elemental Dragon then tries to bite Spyro with it's jaws, but he jumps back to avoid getting bitten. Spyro opened his mouth and a yellow orb of electricity began charging up inside. As soon as it was fully charged, Spyro launches it toward the Elemental Dragon. Upon impact, the electric orb explodes, zapping the dragon with a storm of lightning bolts.

The Elemental Dragon swipes it's right-claw at Spyro, but the purple dragon jumps over to the right, and counters the attack by slamming his tail at the left-side of the dragon's head while his tail was covered in ice. The Elemental Dragon tries to slam it's tail down on Spyro, but the purple dragon leaps out of the way and counters by launching a polar bomb from his mouth, shooting a ball of ice at the dragon. Upon impact, the polar bomb explodes in a cloud of ice, making the Elemental Dragon stagger back.

The Elemental Dragon rises up on it's hind legs and tries to stomp down on Spyro, but the purple dragon jumps back to avoid being stomped on. Afterwards, Spyro flips into the air with a somersault, then smacks down on the head of the Elemental Dragon, creating green waves of earth energy. Spyro opens up his mouth and uses his Earth Flail, creating a giant swirling bomb of green energy connected to a long glowing green chain. Spyro spins around and smashes the giant bomb into the left-side of the dragon's face. The purple dragon spins around the other way and sends the giant bomb smashing into the right-side of the dragon's face. Spyro swings his head upward, making the giant earth bomb strike underneath the dragon's chin. Then, the purple dragon swings his head downward, smashing the earth bomb down on top of the Elemental Dragon's head.

After a powerful battle, the Elemental Dragon collapses on the ground defeated and it vanishes in a flash of light. Having completed his trial, Spyro could only watch as Shara fought against the darker version of her husband, Ducar.

Dark Ducar strikes first by thrusting his left-hand forward, casting a powerful storm of dark blue lightning bolts from his fingertips. Shara blocks the attack with her Keyblade, holding it infront of her face, sending dark lightning bolts in all directions. The two Keyblade Wielders stood their ground and they both stared each other down, not one blinking an eye. Shara soon broke the clash by swinging her Keyblade over to the right, knocking the dark lightning bolts away from her. She then jumped toward Ducar, trying to execute an overhead jumping strike with her Keyblade, but Ducar blocks the attack with his Keyblade, holding it up over his head. He then shoves

Dark Ducar motions his Keyblade back and quickly swings upward and downward, then swings left and right four times. Shara moved away from her husband as he attacked her, keeping her distance away from his blows. He jumps toward Shara, cleaving his Keyblade downward, but she jumps back. Dark Ducar spins around swinging his Keyblade at Shara, but she held up her Keyblade in defense, blocking the attack. Finally, Dark Ducar cleaves his Keyblade down on Shara. The female Keyblade Master held her Keyblade up infront of her face to defend herself, but the blow was so strong that it sent her sliding back across the ground. Dark Ducar jumps high into the air and swings his Keyblade with a right slash, sending dark lightning bolts down toward Shara. Reacting quickly, Shara jumps out of the way, dodging the attack. Shara and Dark Ducar charge toward each other and clash with powerful force. The clash was so strong that it sent a shockwave throughout the world they were in.

Dark Ducar and Shara were now caught in a blade lock, neither one of them standing down. That was until Dark Ducar started pushing Shara back, making her struggle. Shara started to slightly bend backwards as the evil version of her husband began pushing down on her. Mustering up whatever strength she had left, Shara pushed up against Dark Ducar's strength and she started to fight back. Shara started to get the upperhand and she began to push Dark Ducar back. She soon shoves her evil husband back and strikes him with her Keyblade. Shara swings her Keyblade downward with a left-diagonal slash, striking the Dark Keyblade Wielder's chest. She follows up with a right slash, a left slash, and a downward slash. Then, Shara finishes with a strong uppercut that struck her evil husband underneath his chin, sending him into the air with a backflip. Dark Ducar lands on the ground crouched down after receiving the blow and he rises back up on his feet.

Dark Ducar aimed his Keyblade at Shara and fired a salvo of dark blasts from the tip of his Keyblade. Shara aimed her Keyblade at her evil husband and fired a salvo of blue-colored blasts of light from the tip of her Keyblade. Both blasts of light and darkness collide with each other, not one hitting it's target. Dark Ducar draws his Keyblade back and thrusts it forward, firing a giant dark blue-colored beam of darkness at his wife. Shara copied the attack and she fired a giant blue-colored beam of pure light. The two beams of light and darkness clashed, creating a powerful shockwave which spreaded throughout the world around them. Ducar's beam was immensely strong and began pushing it's way toward Shara. Shara pushed with all her might and began pushing her beam toward Ducar. The beam of light started to overwhelm the beam of darkness and it moved evermore closer towards Ducar. Eventually, the beam soon hits Ducar, landing a direct hit to his chest, leaving him dazed.

With Dark Ducar left weakened, Shara began to glow with a bright blue aura. Her Keyblade also started glowing with light of the same color. Shara throws her Keyblade at her dark husband six times, then shoots an orb of light at him which explodes with a bright light, sending the Dark Keyblade Wielder back. Next, Shara thrusts her Keyblade six times at her dark husband and follows up with six wide-sweeping slashes. Then, she raises her Keyblade over her head and finishes with a powerful downward strike, finishing the epic fight.

Shara lands crouched down on the ground next to Spyro and the two heroes watch as the evil version of Ducar fades away in a mist of darkness. After defeating the Elemental Dragon and Dark Ducar, a bright light blinded the two heroes, bringing them back to the White Isle.

( _The White Isle_ )

The light dimmed down and Shara and Spyro found themselves back in the chamber with Sparx. The door infront of them opens up and the trio head on through. Shara, Spyro, and Sparx walked through the doorway and were amazed at what they saw. Inside, they saw a large room with a large hourglass filled with blue sand and shelves filled with books of all sorts.

"This is incredible. The entire history of the dragon race. It looks like it's all here." Spyro says

"It is. Well, most of it." A voice says

Shara, Spyro and Sparx saw an ancient gray-bluish dragon approach them. It turns out, this dragon was the Chronicler.

"The records in this hall date back to the beginning of time... nearly." The Chronicler says

"The Chronicler!" Shara and Spyro exclaim

"Yes, Spyro, Shara, It is I... and I've been waiting for you." The Chronicler says

"Oh, well... I hope we didn't keep you waiting too long. We got a little held up back there with the... you know... riddles of doom!" Sparx says

"It was a necessary evil. But the Inheritor and I had to be sure, Spyro, Shara." The Chronicler says

"The Inheritor? Where is he?" Shara asks

 ** _"Do not fear, Keyblade Master, Shara. I am here."_** A voice says

Suddenly, a bright light appeared infront of Shara, Spyro, and Sparx, just alongside the Chronicler. The light began to take shape, taking the form of a human figure. The light soon faded away and standing infront of the heroic trio was the All-Father of Life himself, The Inheritor. And standing next to the Inheritor was Vervada, his beloved faithful dragoness companion.

"The Inheritor." Shara gasps

 ** _"Greetings, young ones. I am The Inheritor. Guardian of all that exists. Protector_** ** _of the Universe. I am everything that is and everything that will be_** ** _."_**

"The Inheritor." Spyro says amazed

Shara kneels before the Inheritor, showing her respect to the mystical being of light.

"It is an absolute privilege to meet you. Master Eraqus spoke much about you. I am not worthy of your greatness." Shara says

The Inheritor chuckles in his gentle voice.

 _ **"Hm hm hm hm hm. No need to be so formal, dear one. Rise, my girl."**_ The Inheritor says

Shara rises to her feet.

"It's nice of you to join us, my friends. I haven't had any visitors in my solitude for over a thousand years." The Chronicler says

"The pleasure is ours, dear friend." Vervada says

"Hello beautiful." Sparx says laying his eyes on the majestic white dragoness

Vervada blushes a little to Sparx' comment.

"Wait. Didn't I just say that?" Sparx says

 _ **"Ah. This is Vervada, my faithful dragoness companion. She has been my friend**_ _ **through many perilous dangers and many terrible trials."**_ The Inheritor says

"It's an honor to meet you. Both of you." Spyro says

"Of course, young dragon. The Inheritor and I had always been looking forward to the day we would meet." Vervada says

 _ **"And thus, our paths cross here."**_ The Inheritor says

"So, Chronicler, you've been here for a thousand years?" Spyro says

"Oh yes. But I have my books. And I watch and wait... and listen for things to come... and then add them to the books of time for the Inheritor." The Chronicler says

 _ **"Indeed. While it is my duty to keep an eye on the balance between Light and Darkness, it is The Chronicler's duty to chronicle the events of those that have transpired."**_ The Inheritor says

"You were also written in the books, though... many pages are still left incomplete." The Chronicler says

"We are?" Shara asks

"Can we see?" Spyro asks

"Of course you can." The Chronicler says

Two books float over toward Shara and Spyro. Spyro's book was purple and gold while Shara's book was purple and had the Kingdom Hearts Logo on it's cover. Spyro and Shara look into the purple and gold book and they see a vision. In this vision, the two heroes saw the Ape King, Gaul and Lord Thanatos.

"You've both seen these two creatures before." The Chronicler says

"Why are they in my book?" Spyro asks

 _ **"It was Lord Thanatos and Gaul who led the raid on the temple the night of your**_ _ **birth, Spyro, when Ignitus rescued your egg."**_ The Inheritor says

"And when they took Cynder's." Spyro says

"Yes. That was most unfortunate." The Chronicler says

"Wait. Can these books tell the future?" Spyro asks

 _ **"These books chronicles events of the past, present, and future. In parts, they**_ _ **do reveal visions, glimpses of the future."**_ The Inheritor says

"Then I want to know what will happen to Cynder." Spyro says

"We both do." Shara says

"Spyro, Shara you don't-" The Chronicler says

"Please! We must know." Spyro says

"Very well, but hers is a darker tale." The Chronicler says

The purple book floating infront of Spyro and Shara closes and a black book floats over and opens. Shara and Spyro saw a vision of Cynder in chains standing infront of Lord Thanatos and Gaul, transforming into the monstrous dragon she was before.

 _ **"Spyro, Shara, you must understand, when Cynder was taken by Gaul and Lord Thanatos, she was poisoned, corrupted, made to do their bidding. Her entire life has been spent in shadow. She knows no other way. And when Malefor returns, she will concede. No one can resist the temptation, not even the strongest among us."**_ The Inheritor says

"I don't believe that." Spyro says

"Neither do I." Shara says

 _ **"Spyro, Shara, let me tell you another story. There was once a dragon, long ago**_ _ **whose raw power was far greater than anyone had ever seen or could imagine. At first, he mastered fire which was odd because he was not a fire dragon. Then came ice and wind and other abilities none thought possible. Is this story sounding familiar?"**_ The Inheritor says

"It was a purple dragon, like me." Spyro says

 _ **"The first purple dragon. In the beginning, he was encouraged and secrets of**_ _ **elemental mastery were passed unto him willingly by the elders. But his power was limitless. It knew no boundary. He consumed everything. When he would not stop, he was cast into exile. And from his new fortress within the mountain, he built an army. Not of dragons, but of apes, and other creatures of darkness and taught them to artificially harness the power of the gems. The Dragon's life force."**_ The Inheritor says

"You're talking about the Dark Master." Spyro says

 _ **"Yes. And in his dark seclusion, he came in contact with an ancient, evil entity of pure darkness called The Dark Lord of the Shadows who soon became his master teaching him the ways of darkness. In time, he also met Lord Thanatos, the Dark Lord's apprentice which you two have faced before. With the Dark Lord of the Shadows and Lord Thanatos at his side, the sheer weight of his malice cracked the very foundation of the mountain, splitting the earth, creating a pit of despair where the lost souls of this world could reside."**_ The Inheritor says

"The Well of Souls!" Shara says

 _ **"Yes. Created by the very beast who now seeks to escape it."**_ The Inheritor says

"But Chronicler, you said that the eclipse would only allow the spirits to escape  
for a short while!" Spyro says

"Yes, but if there was ever a spirit powerful enough..." The Chronicler says

"Then, how do we stop it?" Spyro asks

 _ **"There is no stopping it. It has been written."**_ The Inheritor says

"Then, why have you both called us here? I don't understand." Shara says

"To ride out the storm... where you'll be safe... and live to fight another day." The Chronicler says

"Well, that sounds pretty good." Sparx says

"What about the others? What about their safety?" Spyro asks

"I fear the worst for the others." The Chronicler says

"As do we all." Vervada says

"And Cynder? Are we supposed to sit here and do nothing while she joins them?!" Spyro says

"Let me field this one... yes!" Sparx says

"No! You keep telling us about choosing a path. But what about Cynder? She was never given a choice. We have to try. We're going and you can't stop us." Shara says

 _ **"Then, we won't. Young ones, we've waited far too long to watch you leave here stricken with grief and doubt. You'll need a clear mind and a pure heart if you are to withstand the evil that consumes that place."**_ The Inheritor says

"I know this is not the path you would choose for us. But we have to walk our own path and do what we know is right." Shara says

 _ **"So be it. We will show you the way. But you must hurry. The dark hour of the eclipse is near and haste will be your only ally."**_ The Inheritor says

"Alright then... well... uh, just so I know why I died. The plan is to wander into the land of darkness to face an army of evil creatures that will want to kill us so we can try to rescue another evil creature that has already tried to kill us!? I'm pumped. Let's do this." Sparx says

The Inheritor stretches his right-hand forward and a white light shines from his palm, opening a portal of light for the two heroes. Shara and Spyro enter the portal of light and began their journey toward the Well of Souls where they would go to rescue Cynder from the evil clutches of Lord Thanatos and Gaul, the Ape King.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Finally, Shara and Spyro arrive at the White Isle and meet the Chronicler and surprisingly, The Inheritor and his faithful dragoness, Vervada. Shara and Spyro learn more about Cynder's past and about Malefor, the first purple dragon. They both soon decide that they can't just stay and let Lord Thanatos and Gaul succeed and decide to journey to the Well of Souls to confront them and save Cynder. How will things go down for our two heroes once they get there? Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	14. The Well of Souls

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Well of Souls_ )

The portal of light opens up and out steps the female Keyblade Master, Shara, and the purple dragon, Spyro. As soon as they were out, the portal closes. The two heroes looked on ahead and before them stood their destination: The Well of Souls.

"The Well of Souls. This is it." Shara says

"Sparx, you don't need to come with us. We won't think less of you if you stay behind." Spyro says

"No way. And live out the best opportunity to live out my worst nightmares? Yeah boy. Why am I saying that?" Sparx says

Shara and Spyro looked down from the cliff they stood on and they saw that it was a long drop into the dark abyss.

"Ooh, that's a long way down." Sparx says

The heroes looked ahead of them and they saw some floating islets that would help them reach the Well of Souls.

"Looks like we're going to have to jump across to get to the Well of Souls." Shara says

The first islet was a couple of feet away from the cliff the heroes stood on. Shara decided to go first and she took a couple of steps back. Mustering up her courage, the female Keyblade Master ran at full speed toward the islet. As soon as she reached the edge of the cliff, she leapt into the air. Shara soared through the air for about five seconds of air time before she reached the islet and rolled to a stop. Spyro and Sparx were both amazed that Shara could jump so far, but nevertheless, they flew over to the islet, following her.

"C'mon. Cynder's waiting for us." Shara says

The heroes moved onto the next floating islet which was large compared to the first one. This islet was so large that the two heroes had to climb it in order to proceed further. After climbing the large islet, Shara and Spyro jumped across three more islets islets before they reached a large door which served as the entrance into the mountain. The door opened up for the two heroes, allowing them to proceed inside. With courage in their hearts, Shara and Spyro entered the mountain fortress to begin their mission.

The first area the heroes found themselves in was a courtyard. In this courtyard were some dead trees and thorns embedded within the stone walls. The two heroes looked over to their right and saw a stone door with a dragon's face in the center.

Before they could proceed, a group of Unversed emerged from the shadows and faced the heroes. Shara summoned her Keyblade: Faithful Salvation into her hands and got into battle stance with Spyro who reared back and stood alongside her.

The Unversed that stood before the two heroes were some Flood, Axe Flappers, and a Triple Wrecker. While Shara and Spyro were familiar with the Flood, the other two type of Unversed were new to them. The Axe Flappers appeared to be bat-like creatures while the Triple Wrecker mostly resembled totem poles with three heads comprised of three elements: Fire, Ice, and Electricity.

One Flood tries to attack Shara with it's claws, but she strikes the Unversed with an uppercut from her Keyblade, knocking it into the air. From there, Shara leaps up and smacks the Unversed back down into the ground with a downward slash from her Keyblade. The Keyblade Master lands crouched down on the ground. She looks ahead of her and saw two more Flood leaping at her. Shara jumps up and spins around, swinging her Keyblade at the Unversed, taking them all out with a single spinning attack.

Spyro charges at a Flood and rams into it with his horns, sending the Unversed flying into a nearby wall. He then leaps into the air and came smashing down on another Flood with his horns, performing a somersault. Two Flood try to attack Spyro at the same time, but the purple dragon hits them with a spin attack, taking the two Unversed out.

Shara stood her ground as four Axe Flappers flew around her. They soon stopped and tried ram into her, but the female Keyblade Master ducks down to the ground, making them miss. Shara rose up to her feet and raises her Keyblade into the air, creating a powerful, light green vortex of wind above her head which blows away the Axe Flappers, sending them flying into a nearby wall.

Two Axe Flappers attack Spyro by shooting razor sharp blasts from their wings, but he jumps from left to right, dodging the wind blasts. Spyro uses his Fire Breath, unleashing a stream of fire upon the flying Unversed, engulfing them in flames. He then uses his Ice Breath, breathing a stream of ice upon three more Axe Flappers, freezing them in ice. The Unversed fall onto the ground upon being frozen and they shattered into pieces.

Now, all that was left was the Triple Wrecker.

The Triple Wrecker uses it's red head to blow a stream of fire at the two heroes, but they both jump back to avoid being burnt. Next, the Unversed uses it's blue head to shoot multiple ice shards at the heroes, but Shara uses her Keyblade to deflect the ice shards away from her and Spyro. Then, the Triple Wrecker uses it's yellow head to try and zap the two heroes with some lightning bolts raining down on them, but they both move away to avoid being struck by the lightning bolts.

Now, it was time for the heroes to attack with some magic of their own. Shara aims her Keyblade at the Triple Wrecker and fires multiple fireballs from the tip of her Keyblade. Spyro helps her out by launching some fireballs of his own from his mouth. Each of the fireballs hit their mark on the Unversed. Next, Shara fires multiple orbs of ice from the tip of her Keyblade with Spyro launching some polar bombs from his mouth. Both of their attacks also hit their mark. Then, Shara hits the Triple Wrecker with a blast of lightning fired from the tip of her Keyblade, electrocuting the Unversed. Spyro quickly charges up an electric orb in his mouth and shoots it at the Triple Wrecker. The electric orb explodes in a torrent of lightning, taking out the Triple Wrecker and effectively finishing the fight.

After the Unversed were defeated, the door opened up to reveal a hallway which led further into the fortress. Shara and Spyro proceeded down into the hallway as they moved onward. They made it halfway until the floor beneath them began to collapse.

"The floor is collapsing! Run!" Spyro yells

The two heroes quickly made a run for the otherside of the hallway, away from the crumbling floor as it trailed them. Spyro was the first to make it to the end of the hallway. Shara was about to make it, but the floor beneath her crumbled, causing her to fall down toward the green toxic waters down below.

"Aaah!" Shara screams

"Shara!" Spyro cries out in horror

Spyro looked over the edge of where he was, hoping that Shara was still alive. Luckily, Shara managed to grab hold of the edge just before she could plummet to her supposed demise. Spyro let out a sigh of relief. Shara pulled herself up out of the pit and stood up onto her feet.

"Oh man. You were lucky there, girl. Me and Spyro almost thought you were a goner." Sparx says

"Whew. Lucky is right. C'mon, we need to keep moving." Shara says

The heroes continued moving through the mountainous fortress, traversing through dark caves which had red and green spirit gems planted along the walls. Shara and Spyro soon came into a large cavern which housed a large statue of Malefor. The cavern acted as a shrine to the dark dragon as small candles stood infront of the statue and around the nearby stands along the walls. The two heroes gazed upon the statue as it looked down at them with it's eerie green glowing eyes.

"So, this is the Dark Master, Malefor." Shara says

"Yeah. The one who Lord Thanatos is trying to set free." Spyro says

"Not if we have anything to say about it." Shara says

Shara looked up at her left and saw an opening to the outside of the mountain.

"Look. We get out through there." Shara says

Shara and Spyro headed up to the cave opening and climbed up along the side of the mountain. They soon reach the peak of the mountain where they found a medium-sized hole which led down into the next area, supposedly where Cynder was being kept.

"What is this?" Spyro asks

"It looks like the entrance to a horrible pit of despair, which we will probably never escape. But we should probably go inside to be sure." Sparx says

Before they could proceed, a large mass of pitch black darkness appeared over the hole. And from it, The Iron Imprisoner, the same Unversed that Shara had supposedly defeated appeared and lands infront of the heroes, wielding it's large black hammer.

"Whoa! Creepy Unversed thing trying to kill us!" Sparx exclaims

"Wait... Isn't that the same Unversed you defeated, Shara?" Spyro asks

"Yes, but this one must be very powerful." Shara says

"Well, you sure did kick it's butt before, I'm sure you can do it again." Sparx says

"But this time, I'll fight with you." Spyro says

Shara looked down at Spyro and smiled. She then looked back at the Unversed, putting on a serious look on her face. Shara summoned her Keyblade into her hands and got into battle stance with Spyro who reared back and stood alongside her.

The Iron Imprisoner struck first by swinging it's hammer down at Shara who backflips away from the Unversed, dodging the hammer as it smashes down on the ground. Shara leaps toward the Iron Imprisoner and strikes with a jumping attack that hits five times. The Iron Imprisoner retaliates by spinning around swinging it's hammer, sending a multiple fire blasts at Shara. The female Keyblade Master stood firm and held her Keyblade above her head with both hands, creating a spherical blue barrier of light that encases her and Spyro, protecting them from the flames. Afterwards, the barrier shatters, sending shards of light flying at the large Unversed, hitting it in numerous places. Each of the shards of light detonate in a series of small explosions, dishing out some damage to the Unversed.

Shara leaps up at the Unversed and strikes it's chest with multiple quick slashes. First, she performs a forward somersault, striking the Iron Imprisoner with multiple spin slashes, her Keyblade leaving a burst of white light in it's wake. Then, Shara raises her Keyblade into the air, generating a pink crystalline lattice around herself, which sends the Iron Imprisoner back. The large Unversed tried to take a swing at Shara with it's hammer, but the female Keyblade Master drops down to the ground before the hammer could hit her.

Spyro flies up to the Iron Imprisoner and uses his Fire Breath, unleashing a stream of fire upon the Unversed. The Unversed shields itself from the flames by using it's arm to shield it's face. The Iron Imprisoner tries to swat the purple dragon away with it's arm, but he flies back to avoid being hit. Next, Spyro uses his Ice Breath, launching a polar bomb from his mouth at the Unversed. The ball of ice lands a direct hit to the chest of the Unversed, knocking it back slightly.

The Iron Imprisoner sinks into the ground and it's shadow heads straight for the two heroes. Before the Iron Imprisoner could attack, Shara and Spyro both jump back just as the Unversed bursts out of the ground. The large Unversed raises its hammer over its head and brings it down on the two heroes, but they jump back to avoid being smashed into the ground.

Spyro flies up to the Iron Imprisoner and hits it's head with his horns, performing a somersault. Next, he spins around, hitting the Unversed with his tail. Then, the purple dragon strikes with another somersault, bringing his tail down on the head of the large Unversed.

Shara tosses her Keyblade with a right-diagonal toss, sending the Keyblade flying toward the Unversed. The Keyblade shines with a blue light as it soars toward the Unversed. Within moments, the Keyblade lands a direct hit at the chest of the Iron Imprisoner. Shara summons her Keyblade back into her hand and rushes toward the Iron Imprisoner. She leaps up with a somersault and brings her Keyblade down on the head of the Unversed. She then performs a rolling jump, striking underneath the Iron Imprisoner's chin, then lunges down on it's head, leaving it stunned by the attack.

With the Unversed left weakened, Shara charges forward, leaps up toward the Iron Imprisoner, and draws her Keyblade back. As she flies toward the Unversed, Shara was cloaked with pure light and her Keyblade was enveloped with light, emitting a blue aura. Within moments, Shara blasts through the Iron Imprisoner, leaving a large hole in it's chest. The Iron Imprisoner disintegrates in a blaze of dark blue flames and the fight was finished, this time for good.

After dealing with the Iron Imprisoner, Shara, Spyro and Sparx head into the hole and arrive in the throne room. In the center of the room was an ominous beam of purple light which beamed up from deep within the mountain. Suddenly, small braziers lit up around the room, illuminating the area with their eerie greenish flames. Shara and Spyro looked ahead of them and they saw their enemy. Sitting on the throne before them on the otherside of the room was the powerful Dark Keyblade Master himself, Lord Thanatos. Standing next to him on his right was the Ape King, Gaul.

Gaul was a disgusting, hairy wart-covered enormous ape with one eye as a green shining jewel. Several scars ran across his demented face, suggesting that Gaul was a seasoned fighter during the war against the Dragons. He wore a purple, horned helmet that looks very similar to a Viking's helmet. Gaul was loyal servant to both Malefor, Lord Thanatos and the Dark Lord the Shadows.

"The purple whelping and the wretched girl arrives. It's fitting that you should be here tonight as we bear witness to the dawn of a new age and the failure of your pathetic race of dragons." Gaul says

"I wouldn't miss it, Gaul, Lord Thanatos." Spyro says

 **"THEN PLEASE, HAVE A SEAT!"** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos thrusts his right-hand forward toward Shara and Spyro, hurling arcing bolts of dark blue electricity from his fingertips. Shara and Spyro were both struck by the powerful lightning blast and they both cried out in agonizing pain.

"Aaaaah!" Shara and Spyro both yelled out in pain

The two heroes were painfully shocked by the intense electrical assault that their own skeletons illuminated through their skin, or in Spyro's case, his scales. Shara was overwhelmed by the lightning blast and she fell down on one knee.

 **"FOOLISH MORTALS. YOU ARE NO MATCH FOR MY SUPREME POWER."** Lord Thanatos says

"We've made it this far, haven't we?" Spyro says

 **"INDEED. YOU BOTH HAVE BEEN QUITE ELUSIVE. HAD WE BUT KNOWN THAT ALL IT TOOK TO** **LURE YOU BOTH HERE WAS YOUR MISERABLE AMITY TO CYNDER. A PITY THAT SHE SHOULD** **BE THE ONE TO DESTROY YOU."** Lord Thanatos says

Cynder jumps toward Shara and Spyro, but they both jump back. The trio circle around each other.

"Aaaaahhh! The nightmare never ends!" Sparx says covering his eyes

"Just like old times, huh Spyro?" Cynder says

"You don't need to do this, Cynder." Spyro says

"Cynder, it's us. Your friends. Remember?" Shara says

"Don't worry, Shara. I'm still on your side. Same as last time. Line me up with Lord Thanatos." Cynder whispers

Shara and Spyro did as Cynder instructed and lined her up with Lord Thanatos, putting their backs to him. Soon enough, Cynder jumps over Shara and Spyro, heading straight for Lord Thanatos. However, the Dark Keyblade Master stretches his right-hand toward Cynder, ensnaring her with his telekinetic powers. Cynder could feel the invisible force gripping her throat as she hovered infront of Lord Thanatos.

 **"YOU ARE A FOOL, CYNDER. DID YOU THINK I WOULD NOT KNOW OF YOUR LITTLE STRATEGY? NOR WOULD I HAVE SENSED YOUR BETRAYAL? YOU COULD HAVE RETURNED TO YOUR RIGHTFUL PLACE IN MY MASTER'S GRAND EMPIRE, BUT INSTEAD, YOU CHOOSE TO SIDE WITH THESE PITIFUL MORTALS. AND SO, FOR YOUR BETRAYAL, YOU WILL SUFFER ALONG WITH YOUR PATHETIC FRIENDS!"** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos thrusts his right-hand forward, throwing Cynder into the wall on the far side of the room. Cynder slams into the wall and falls onto the ground, but she was still conscious.

 **"GAUL, DEAL WITH THE PURPLE DRAGON AND THE KEYBLADE WIELDER."** Lord Thanatos says

"With pleasure." Gaul says

Gaul jumps down and draws his two swords. Shara summoned her Keyblade into her hands and got into battle stance. Spyro reared back and got into battle stance, standing alongside the female Keyblade Master. Both sides prepared themselves for a powerful, epic battle.

From what Shara and Spyro could tell, Gaul was a very powerful fighter. Not as powerful as Lord Thanatos, but still very strong.

Gaul strikes first by jumping toward Shara and Spyro with his swords. He swings his swords at Shara, but she blocks against his blows with her Keyblade. Shara swings away Gaul's swords and counters with a right-diagonal strike to his chest, knocking him back. Spyro charges toward Gaul and rams his horns into him, hitting him directly in the stomach. Gaul tries to bring both his swords down on Spyro, but Shara jumps in and blocks the attack with her Keyblade. Shara shoves Gaul back and knocks him into the air with an uppercut. She leaps up after the ape and sends him higher into the air with another uppercut, then smacks him back down with a downward slash.

Gaul raises his swords up and dark lightning strikes the blades. He then comes at Spyro and Shara with a barrage of sword strikes, but the two heroes jump back, dodging Gaul's swords. Gaul leaps up and stabs his swords down into the ground, releasing ten shockwaves of green energy that spreaded throughout the room. Shara and Spyro both jump up into the air to dodge the shockwaves.

Shara strikes Gaul with three wide-sweeping slashes, swings her Keyblade above her head five times and finishes with a jumping slash. Shara swiftly attacks Gaul tossing her Keyblade at the ape king six times. She then fires an orb of light from the tip of her Keyblade toward Gaul, which lands a direct hit at his chest, and finishes with a magical spinning attack. Shara continues on with her assault, striking Gaul with at least ten rapid strikes from her Keyblade. She then hits him with six rapid strikes, a spin attack, and finishes with another six rapid strikes, cutting slash marks of light into the ground. The attack knocks Gaul back and brings him down to his knees.

Gaul rises to his feet and stares down Shara and Spyro. Gaul then jumps into the air and drives his swords into the ground. The ground beneath Spyro and Gaul collapses and they both fall further into the Well of Souls. Gaul crashes into the ground, losing his swords, his helmet, his shoulder-plating, and his magic staff while Spyro was knocked into the beam of dark energy. During the fight, the lunar alignment was complete and the evil energy it generated channeled through the Well of Souls. The dark power also infused itself through Spyro, transforming him into Dark Spyro. His eyes glowed white, his skin turned dark purple, and his entire body emitted a black aura of darkness.

With the power of darkness surging through him, Dark Spyro stood his ground as he prepared himself for another fight against Gaul. Shara could only watch as the purple dragon and the ape king fought each other.

Gaul strikes first by shooting green laser beams from his jewel eye, but Dark Spyro dodges the attacks jumping from left to right. The purple dragon launches a barrage of dark purple blasts from his mouth and sends them toward Gaul. The ape king shields himself from the dark blasts by crossing his arms infront of his face. Gaul jumps toward Spyro and swings his blade gauntlets at him, but the purple dragon dodges Gaul's attacks and knocks him back by ramming the ape in his stomach. Then, he shoots a violet-colored beam of darkness at the ape, landing a direct hit at his chest.

Soon, Gaul was left weakened with Dark Spyro standing infront of him.

"What are you waiting for, dragon?! Finish me!" Gaul says

Dark Spyro just stands there staring at Gaul.

"Hahahaha! Coward." Gaul laughs

Gaul rises to his feet and attempts to strike Spyro with his blade gauntlet. Before he could reach him, Dark Spyro pushes Gaul back with a purple beam of convexity. Dark Spyro soon rises up on his hind legs. A large amount of darkness began to envelope Dark Spyro's body and swirl around him. With the power of darkness surging through his body, Dark Spyro unleashes a violet wave of darkness turning Gaul to stone. Another wave of darkness hits Gaul finishing him once and for all. With Gaul finished, Dark Spyro heads back up toward the hole.

Shara, Sparx, and Cynder look down into the hole, searching for any sign of Spyro.

"What's happening down there?" Cynder asks

"Spyro? You okay, buddy?" Sparx says

Spyro soon emerges from the hole in the beam of darkness under the moon alignment's influence. Shara, Sparx, and Cynder look up in shock.

"Oh no! Spyro, stop!" Cynder says

"I... I can't..." Spyro says

Cynder jumps up toward Spyro and knocks him out of the beam, freeing him from the moon alignment's influence. Spyro collapses on the ground and reverts back to his former self.

"What have I done?" Spyro asks

"It's ok, Spyro. You're with friends." Cynder says

"I'm sorry... I... I couldn't stop." Spyro says

Shara kneels down to Spyro and places her right-hand on the purple dragon's back, offering him comfort.

"It's alright, Spyro. Everything is alright." Shara says

The mountain began crumbling around Shara, Spyro, Sparx and Cynder. Lord Thanatos rises from his throne and summons his Dark Keyblade: The Harbinger of Shadows into his right-hand.

 **"THE CELESTIAL ALIGNMENT IS FINALLY COMPLETE. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL MALEFOR RETURNS TO US."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos jumps down and lands infront of Shara, Spyro, Sparx, and Cynder.

 **"BUT YOU SHALL NOT LIVE TO BEAR WITNESS HIS RETURN. NOW YOU SHALL DIE."** Lord Thanatos says

Shara stood up and moved in-between Spyro, Cynder, Sparx, defending them from the evil Dark Keyblade Master.

"This is now between you and me, Lord Thanatos! Leave my friends out of this!" Shara yells

 **"IF YOU WISH FOR YOUR DEATH, SO BE IT."** Lord Thanatos says

Shara summoned her Keyblade: Faithful Salvation into her hands and got into battle stance as she prepared for a powerful, epic battle against Lord Thanatos, the Keyblade Master of Darkness.

Before the battle began, Lord Thanatos' body began to radiate a black aura of darkness and evil red glyph markings began to appear on his body, glowing on his torso, back, arms and legs. His eyes and heartstone shined red and sparks of dark blue lightning danced all over Lord Thanatos' body.

Shara began to glow with pure light, emitting a blue aura. Her Keyblade also glowed with pure light, emitting a blue aura of the same color.

Lord Thanatos strikes first by thrusting his left-hand forward, hurling a powerful barrage of dark blue lightning bolts from his fingertips. Shara defends against the electric blast with her Keyblade, sending the dark lightning bolts flying in all directions. The two Keyblade Wielders stood their ground and they both stared each other down, not one blinking an eye.

Shara broke the clash swinging her Keyblade over to the right, knocking the dark lightning bolts away from her. Shara tries to execute an overhead jumping attack with her Keyblade, but Lord Thanatos blocks the attack with his Dark Keyblade, holding it over his head. Lord Thanatos pushes Shara back with his telekinetic powers by thrusting his left-hand forward. Shara was sent sliding back across the ground, but she soon skidded to a stop. Afterwards, Lord Thanatos swings his Dark Keyblade with a horizontal slash, launching a dark blue crescent blade of darkness toward Shara. Shara cuts through the crescent blade with her Keyblade, swinging her Keyblade with a downward slash, cleaving it in two. Lord Thanatos launches another dark crescent blade with a downward slash, but Shara cuts through it as well with a left-slash.

Lord Thanatos jumps high into the air and swings his Dark Keyblade, sending dark lightning bolts down toward Shara. Reacting quickly, Shara jumps out of the way, dodging the lightning bolts. Lord Thanatos lands back on the ground and leaps toward Shara with his Dark Keyblade raised over his head. As soon as she was in reach, he swings his Dark Keyblade down on Shara, but she blocks against the fierce blow. Next, Lord Thanatos swings his Dark Keyblade with a right slash, knocking Shara's Keyblade away. He lunges his Dark Keyblade at Shara to try and stab her, but she leans her body to the left, making him miss her chest by mere inches. Lord Thanatos spins around, swinging his Dark Keyblade with a reverse roundhouse slash, but Shara blocks against the blow with her Keyblade. With the two warriors caught in a blade lock, Lord Thanatos pushes against Shara with his powerful strength, making her stagger backwards. He then sends Shara back with a thrust of his left-hand, throwing her across the room with a powerful telekinetic blast. Shara slides back across the ground and eventually skids to a stop. She leaps back at Lord Thanatos while he leaps up at her. The two Keyblade Wielders fly toward each other and clash with powerful force. The clash was so strong that it sent a shockwave throughout the Well of Souls.

Shara and Lord Thanatos were now caught in another blade lock, neither one of them backing down. The two Keyblade Wielders soon jump away from each other, both of them performing a backflip. Lord Thanatos grips his left-hand into a fist, making a dark blue light glow briefly on his arm. Then, he thrusts his hand out toward Shara, firing a volley of dark blue fireballs through his palm. Shara aimed her Keyblade at the Dark Keyblade Master and fired a volley of blue-colored blasts of light from the tip of her Keyblade. Both blasts of light and darkness clash with each other, not one hitting it's target. Lord Thanatos draws his Dark Keyblade back and thrusts it forward, firing a giant dark red-colored beam of darkness at the female Keyblade Master. Shara drew her Keyblade back and thrusts it forward, firing a giant blue-colored beam of pure light. The two beams of light and darkness clashed, creating a powerful shockwave which spreaded throughout the Well of Souls. Lord Thanatos' beam was immensely strong and it started to push it's way toward Shara. Shara put all of her energy into her beam and she pushed with all her might. The beam of light began to overpower the beam of darkness as it slowly started making it's way toward Lord Thanatos. Eventually, the beam soon hits Lord Thanatos, landing a direct hit to his chest, leaving him dazed.

With Lord Thanatos left weakened, Shara spins gracefully with a blue light enveloping her entire body, firing several volleys of pure light toward him. Lord Thanatos was hit him numerous times by the light blasts. Next, Shara thrusts her Keyblade at Lord Thanatos. striking six times with a charging attack. Afterwards, she follows up with six wide-sweeping slashes. Then, she raises her Keyblade over her right-shoulder and delivers with a devastating strike to Lord Thanatos' chest, finishing the epic fight.

Lord Thanatos slides back across the ground and falls down on one knee.

 **"NGH! YOU WERE FORTUNATE TO DEFEAT ME, KEYBLADE WIELDER. BUT KNOW THIS, YOU HAVE ONLY DELAYED THE INEVITABLE."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos rose up onto his feet and continued to cast his evil glare at the heroes, more specifically toward Shara.

 **"THE DARKNESS WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, DEVOURING EVERYTHING IN IT'S PATH AND NOTHING, NOT YOU, THE PURPLE DRAGON, NOR ANY KNOWN FORCE CAN STOP IT** **."** Lord Thanatos says

Darkness began to envelope Lord Thanatos as he prepared to take his leave.

 **"FAREWELL, MORTALS. I LEAVE YOU HERE TO ROT. BE SURE TO GIVE THE INHERITOR MY REGARDS AND HOPES FOR HIM TO DIE."** Lord Thanatos says

Having said that, Lord Thanatos disappears into a corridor of darkness. Shara falls down onto her knees weakened from the intense battle.

"Shara!" Spyro and Cynder cry out

Spyro and Cynder rush over to Shara.

"Come on, Shara! We've got to go!" Cynder says

"I'm too weak. Spyro, Cynder, just go! Save yourselves!" Shara says

"No, Shara! We're not leaving without you!" Cynder says

"Usually I would say ignore her, but she's making sense this time." Sparx says

"Get up, Shara! We've got to get out of here!" Spyro says

Shara weakly rises to her feet. Just as the heroes tried to leave, their only way out of the mountain was blocked by rubble, trapping them inside.

"Oh no! We're trapped!" Spyro says

Shara, Spyro, Sparx, and Cynder all look down in despair. In that moment, Spyro remembered what the Chronicler said.

 _"Ride out the storm... and live to fight another day..."_

Spyro now knew what he had to do.

"Get close to me! Now!" Spyro says

Shara, Sparx, and Cynder move closer to Spyro. As the mountain continued to crumble around them, Spyro used his time fury powers, encasing Shara, Sparx, and Cynder in an orange time crystal to protect them from the debris.

Soon, The Well of Souls soon collapsed leaving nothing but rock and debris. The time crystal that encased Shara, Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx remained unscathed. Suddenly, Shara began to glow with light and she vanishes from the time crystal leaving Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx to remain frozen within it.

( _The Celestial Temple_ )

Shara slowly regained consciousness and she found herself lying on her back inside The Celestial Archive within the Celestial Temple. She was amazed at the sight of the room.

 _ **"Shara, welcome back."**_ A voice says

Shara sat upright and saw The Inheritor, Vervada, and the Chronicler standing infront of her.

"Inheritor, Vervada, Chronicler." Shara says

"It is good to see you are all well, Shara." Vervada says

"You fought valiantly against Lord Thanatos and Gaul. I cannot thank you enough." The Chronicler says

"What about Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx?" Shara asks

"Do not fear, Shara. They are safe." The Chronicler says

Spyro's book floats over to Shara and opens up before of her. The book revealed a vision to Shara. In this vision, the female Keyblade Master saw Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx still frozen in the time crystal safe and unscathed.

"Ah, they're safe." Shara sighs with relief

 _ **"Yes. You have done well so far, but your journey is far from over. Other worlds are calling out to you, Shara, and you must go and answer their call."**_ The Inheritor says

"You mean I am to leave Spyro, Cynder and Sparx like this?" Shara asks

"Yes. There is nothing more that can be done for them now." Vervada says

"Alright. I'll go. I have to find my husband, Ducar and my friends, Terra and Ven. Aqua and I promised Master Eraqus that we will and I will not break that promise. I just hope Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx will be alright." Shara says

"Do not worry, Shara. We shall keep watch over them as we always have." The Chronicler says

"Before I go, I would like to know, how did my husband succumb to the darkness? The first time I met Cynder outside the Dragon Temple, she told me that he succumbed to the darkness in his heart. I want to know how?" Shara says

 ** _"Ducar was a brave warrior. A great Keyblade Wielder. But his fears for you and your son, Devon was high. He could not bear to lose you, your son, nor your friends, Terra, Ventus, and Aqua to the darkness."_** The Inheritor says

A grey book with a blue Kingdom Hearts Sigil on it's cover floats over to Shara and opens up before her. The book revealed a vision to Shara, showing her husband, Ducar, and Spyro facing off against Lord Thanatos in Munitions Forge.

 _ **"This was when your husband fought Lord Thanatos in Munitions Forge where both he and Spyro both attempted to rescue Terrador, the Earth Guardian.**_ ** _Lord Thanatos was far too powerful for your husband. He tempted Ducar to use the darkness in his heart, but he refused. That was when Lord Thanatos tortured Spyro right infront of Ducar. Your husband was overcome by anger and hatred when he saw this. That was the moment he succumbed to the darkness."_** The Inheritor says

The vision in the book changes showing Ducar with Spyro, Cynder, Ignitus, Terrador, Cyril, and Volteer at the Dragon Temple all of which were happy to see him. Shara smiled at the sight of this.

"It is good to see my husband has friends who care about him." Shara says

 _ **"Yes. Your husband truly cared for Spyro and Cynder almost as he would his own child. But it was also in that moment that he realized what he had done. Thus, he left the Dragon Realms and continued his journey alone to conquer the darkness within him."** _ The Inheritor says

Shara watched as Ducar switched into his Keyblade Armor, jump onto his Keyblade Glider, and take off into the air while Spyro, Cynder, Sparx, Ignitus, Terrador, Cyril, and Volteer all watched him disappear into the night sky.

 ** _"That is why you must continue your journey, Shara, and find your husband along with your friends. You must all band together if you are to stand up against the darkness that is slowly spreading across the universe."_** The Inheritor says

"I understand." Shara says

 ** _"Then go, fulfill your destiny as a Keyblade Master, and protect the worlds from the forces of darkness."_ ** The Inheritor says

A blue portal of light apppears before Shara. Shara looks toward The Inheritor, Vervada, and The Chronicler and nods at them while they nod back. Shara presses down on her left-pauldron with her right hand, causing a bright light to envelope the beautiful woman, illuminating the area. When the light dims down, Shara was in her Keyblade Armor. Understanding the task at hand, Shara steps into the portal of light and continues her journey. As soon as she enters, the portal closes.

Once Shara was gone, The Inheritor, Vervada, and The Chronicler turn their attention to Spyro's book which floats over to them and opens up before them. Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx were still frozen in the time crystal.

"Young dragon, all our hopes now lie with you and the Keyblade Wielders. When you wake up, the world around you will be different. But know this, you are not alone. You have allies." The Chronicler says

Not far from the two dragons, a hooded figure looks over toward them. Also in the vision was a certain young teen boy and his beloved Night Fury, along with six other teens and their dragons who stood next to the hooded figure, looking toward the purple dragon and black dragoness.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Epic Chapter! Shara and Spyro arrive at the Well of Souls and confront the Ape King, Gaul and Lord Thanatos, the Keyblade Master of Darkness. Cynder tries to help Shara and Spyro fight the Ape King, Gaul, and Lord Thanatos, but she was quickly put out of the fight. Shara and Spyro face off against the Ape King, Gaul, but then the lunar alignment of the two moons was complete. The Night of Eternal Darkness had arrived. Spyro transforms into Dark Spyro and faces Gaul again. This time, he finishes Gaul once and for all. Shara frees Spyro from the lunar's alignment's influence, changing him back to normal. They soon face off against Lord Thanatos in a powerful, epic battle. Shara manages to defeat Lord Thanatos, but was left weakened by the intense battle. Shara, Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx try to escape the Well of Souls. but they were soon trapped with no way out. Spyro uses his time fury powers and encases Shara, Cynder, Sparx, and himself inside a time crystal to protect them as the Well of Souls collapsed in on itself. Shara was transported to the Celestial Archive where she meets the Inheritor and Vervada. Now, she must continue on with her journey to save the worlds from the evil of Lord Thanatos. So, what's next for our heroes. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	15. A Dragon's Heart

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _Camelot_ )

In the broken ruins of an old castle, two men were playfully sword fighting with each other. One was a noble knight named Bowen. The other was a young teen named Einon. The two were sparring with each other using wooden swords. Einon attacked Bowen with his wooden sword while he defended himself.

"Not bad." Bowen says

Einon lunges his wooden sword at Bowen, but the knight knocks it away with his wooden sword, making Einon stumble forward. He then quickly grabbed hold of Einon, holding his wooden sword lightly up to his throat.

"Not good enough to live." Bowen says with a smile

Bowen playfully pushed Einon forward and the two continued to spar. Einon came at Bowen again with some more sword strikes, but still the knight blocked each of his blows.

"Mind if I sit down? I don't have your energy." Bowen says

Bowen sat down on a rock while Einon continued to attack with his wooden sword.

"Fight with your head. Not your heart." Bowen chuckles

The playful fight continued at the topmost part of the ruins where the grand view of the nearby lands could be seen for miles out.

"Straight. Better, Einon." Bowen says

Einon brought his wooden sword down on Bowen, but the knight whirled around and tapped his wooden sword to Einon's chest.

"But you're still dead." Bowen says

The two continued their sparring match down to where a wooden table was set which had food set out. On this table were loafs of bread, green grapes, apples, and melons.

"Purpose, not passion." Bowen says

While Einon continued lashing out at Bowen with his blows, the knight took a jug from the table and poured some water into a clay cup without even looking. Einon tries to lunge his wooden sword at Bowen again, but the knight had just finished with his cup and knocks his wooden sword away, then kicks Einon on his backside, making him fall forward onto the ground.

"No one ever found victory in the dirt." Bowen says with a smile

The two men were soon approached by a man named Brok who rode up to them on his brown horse.

"The peasants are revolting." Einon says

"They've always been revoltin', Prince. But now, they're rebellin'. King Freyne wants his son to witness his noble victory." Brok says

"There's nothing noble about crushing desperate men." Bowen says

"They're traitorous scum! The king commands! Bring him!" Brok says

Having said that, Brok rides off on his horse.

( _Moments later_ )

In an open field, several swordsmen ride toward a small village full of rebelliant villagers who despised their king. It was 984 A.D in the kingdom of Camalot. During this time, the peasants were under the rule of a cruel king named Freyne who called them revolting peasants. Now, the peasants had enough of their king and decided to rebel. Soon, the swordsmen raided the village, slaying the rebellious peasants who stood in their path. As the King and his men layed seige to the village, the king's son, Einon, and the knight, Bowen watched the carnage from a nearby hill.

"I wish we were down there." Einon says

"No. You don't." Bowen says

"Yes I do. Just to see you in action, Bowen. Yours will be the finest blade on the field." Einon says

"My blade was not meant for your father's slaughter." Bowen says

"He is my father, Bowen. And he is the king." Einon says

"Yes. But when you are king, remember today the difference between battle and butchery. And remember the Old Code. Then you would be a greater king than your father." Bowen says

"I promise, knight. I will be greater." Einon says

King Freyne strode into the village and grabbed a torch. He then rode over to the wooden houses and raises his torch up to the straw roofs, setting the houses on fire. Suddenly, a group of peasants burst out of their hiding spots and swarmed the King. Einon saw his father being ambushed by the peasants and was shocked.

"He's trapped!" Einon exclaims

Einon began riding toward the village to try and save his father.

"Einon! Einon!" Bowen calls

Einon rode into the village on his horse. Bowen tried to follow, but he was cut off by a wooden cart which got in his way.

"Einon! No!" Bowen cries out

King Freyne was overwhelmed by the peasants and was soon pulled off his horse. Having separated the king from his horse, the peasants began beating him constantly until he was dead.

"Enough! Enough! The battle is out there!" One of the peasants says

The peasants halted their assault upon their king and began heading out into the battlefield to deal with the king's swordsmen. Einon approached his father who was beaten to death. Einon grabs his father's crown and began heading through the village avoiding the villagers. Suddenly, a villager falls out of a burning house and bumps into Einon, making him stumble forward into a sharp wooden column. One of the large spikes on the wooden column stabbed his chest, piercing him directly in his heart. The villager picked up a wooden log and holds it in defense, fearing that Einon would probably attack, but Einon looks toward the villager with a look of pain on his face. The The villager removed the bucket which was on her head, revealing that she was a young woman.

"Einon!" Bowen cries out

Bowen strides over to Einon and picks him up onto his horse. Bowen saw the deep wound on Einon's chest and was deeply shocked.

"It's alright. I'm here, my king." Bowen says

With Einon badly wounded, Bowen rides off to the king's castle to seek aid.

( _Moments later_ )

At the castle which was set up on a high hill surrounded by tall stone walls and towers, the king's wife, Queen Aislinn sat at her desk in her room. The man, Brok, enters the room and approaches her with some grim news.

"Dead, madam. King Freyne, your husband, slain." Brok says

"In here!" A voice yells

Then, Bowen and several men storm into the room, bringing in Einon who was now crying out in agonizing pain.

"In here, on the bed!" Bowen says

The men set Einon onto a nearby bed and were getting ready to operate on the king's son when his mother dismisses them.

"Get out! Out! Out! Brok, out. You stay, Bowen." Queen Aislinn says

Brok and the men leave the room, leaving only Bowen, the queen, and her son.

"Forgive me, Queen Aislinn." Bowen says

"There's nothing to forgive. His father's tyranny brought him to this end." Queen Aislinn says

"He's beyond all help." Bowen says

Queen Aislinn looks toward a small statue of a majestic dragon.

"Not all." Queen Aislinn says

( _Moments later_ )

The weather was now cloudy and slightly misty as Bowen, Queen Aislinn, Brok and several men move across the open fields toward a cave where Einon's hope for survival awaited him. Einon was carried on a stretcher.

"A Knight is sworn to valor." Bowen says

"Sworn, to valor." Einon gasps weakly

"His heart knows only virtue." Bowen says

"Virtue." Einon gasps weakly

"His blade defends the helpless. His might upholds the weak." Bowen says

"You must stay awake, my son! You must stay awake! Repeat the Code." Queen Aislinn says

"The Code." Einon gasps weakly

"His might upholds the weak." Bowen says

"H-His word speaks only truth." Einon gasps weakly

"His wrath undoes the wicked." Bowen says

"Undoes the wicked." Einon gasps weakly

The group soon reach the cave and head inside.

"Lord! Great One!" Queen Aislinn calls out

From the depths of the cave, a voice speaks out to Queen Aislinn.

"Are the stars shining brightly tonight?" The voice asks

"No. No bright souls glitter in this darkness." Queen Aislinn says

The men lay Einon down on a large flat rock and step back. A large dragon steps forward from the darkness of the cave and looks down on Bowen, Einon, and Queen Aislinn.

"Aislinn, Daughter of the Celts." The dragon says

"Whose people loved your kind and called you friend." Queen Aislinn says

The dragon soon looks down at Einon as he laid on the stone table infront of him.

"Ah, the king's son, cruel and full of trickery. Is this why you have come, dragonslayer's wife?" The dragon says

"Dragonslayer's widow. This boy is not his father. This knight here is his mentor. He has taught him the Old Code. I need your help." Queen Aislinn says

Queen Aislinn pulls back a cloth that covered Einon's wound which was very deep.

"The wound is deep. You know what you ask." The dragon says

"I will teach him your ways. He will grow in your grace. He will grow just and good. I swear." Queen Aislinn says

"No! The boy must swear. Give me your sword, Knight." The dragon says

Bowen hands the dragon his sword. The dragon takes hold of the sword in his claws and holds the flat-side over Einon.

"Now listen to me, boy. Swear that your father's blood lust and tyranny died with him. Swear that you will live and rule with mercy. Come to me and learn the Once-ways. Now swear!" The dragon says

"I swear." Einon gasps weakly

With those words, Einon sighs his last breath and dies.

"Einon! Einon! He's dead!" Bowen exclaims

Bowen takes his sword back from the dragon.

"Peace, Knight of the Old Code. Witness the wonders of an ancient glory." The dragon says

The dragon lifts his scale and opens his chest with his claw. He takes out a piece of his heart which glowed with a wonderous red light and shares it with Einon. Half of the dragon's heart is absorbed into Einon. Soon, Einon was breathing again.

"Half my heart to make you whole. It's strength to purify your weakness. Live, and remember your oath." The dragon says

The men carry Einon out of the cave, leaving the queen and Bowen with the dragon. Queen Aislinn kneeled before the dragon and followed the men as they head out of the cave.

"I served the father only for the sake of the son. All my hopes rest on him. Forgive a doubting fool. Call when you need of me. Ask what you will of me. My sword, my service are yours." Bowen says

"Only remind him always of his vow, Knight of the Old Code." The dragon says

Having completed his task, the dragon heads into the solitude of his cave. Outside, the men began heading back to the castle. As they do, Einon calls out to Brok.

"Brok." Einon calls

"Your Majesty?" Brok says

"The Romans built this great fortress. I will rebuild it, and mine will be greater." Einon says

"It will take many men, my Lord, to rebuild this ruin." Brok says

"Yes. Yes it will." Einon says

Not far from the group, a dark hooded figure wearing a black cloak watched from within the trees, hidden in the darkness. His demonic, glowing red eyes narrowed evilly as a sinister plot formed within his dark, wicked mind.

( _Several weeks later_ )

In a valley of rocks, several peasants were enslaved and forced to mine rocks for Einon while he watched them mine for his kingdom. Brok approached Einon with three peasants bound in rope by their hands. One of them was a man wearing a red headband that led the group of peasants that killed King Freyne.

"Not so rebellious now. Are you?" Einon says

"You should thank me, boy. It was my stroke that made you king." The peasant says

Brok takes out a dagger and holds it up to the peasant's neck.

"No, Brok. I want no martyrs. Death should be a release, not a punishment." Einon says

Brok sheathes his dagger and backs away.

"Look good, dog. I'm the last thing you'll ever see." Einon says

Brok takes a wooden stake with it's tip hot and holds it out.

"Burn the insolence out of his eyes." Einon says

"No! No! Not my eyes! No!" The peasant screams

Brok approaches the peasant with the stake ready to gouge the man's eyes. Suddenly, Bowen rides into the valley and cuts off the bonds with his sword, freeing the peasants.

"Run!" Bowen yells

The peasants flee and head into the forest.

"How dare you defy me!" Einon yells

"Einon, you're unwell. You've been bewitched." Bowen says

Bowen gestures his right-hand toward the slaves who were still continuing their forced labor.

"Look at this! It's madness! Remember the Code!" Bowen says

"The king is above the Code!" Einon says drawing his sword

Bowen grabs Einon by his shoulders, pulls him off his horse, and holds him down to the ground.

"Have you forgotten everything I taught you? No one is above the Code, especially the king." Bowen says

After saying that, Bowen rode off on his horse to the cave where he hoped to find the wretched dragon that had stolen his pupil.

( _Moments later_ )

Bowen arrives at the cave and shouts into it, hoping that the dragon would hear him. He didn't care whether or not the dragon was actually inside the cave, but he did made a vengeful oath.

"Dragon, I loved that boy, and you changed him! You tricked me, Dragon! No matter where you fly, no matter where you go, I will find you! Today, I make a new vow! I will spend the rest of my life hunting you down!" Bowen shouts

( _Present time_ )

In a wheat field somewhere in the Kingdom of Camalot, a monk named Brother Gilbert was riding through the wheat field on his donkey, Merlin citing a poem.

 _"Avalon, oh, Avalon. For you I quest each day, the resting place of Arthur and the Old Code of his way. And when I find those holy stones, I'll pray, I'll pray, I'll pray. Oh, Avalon, bright Avalon, think me not a fool. My quest is not for vanity, my quest is spiritual."_ Gilbert says

Suddenly, his donkey becomes startled by something.

"Merlin! Whoa! Merlin!" Gilbert says

Brother Gilbert falls off his donkey and tumbles into the tall grass.

"Everyone's a critic!" Gilbert says

Suddenly, the peasants working in the wheat field began screaming. Flying overhead was a dragon that startled the peasants. The knight, Bowen rides through the wheat field on his brown horse with his bow and arrow. He soon stops by Brother Gilbert asking where the dragon flew off to.

"Dragon, dragon." Gilbert says

"Yes, I know. Where?" Bowen asks

"There. There." Gilbert says pointing in the direction where the dragon went.

Bowen heads deeper into the wheat field while Gilbert watches him go. Bowen's horse whinnies and Bowen's shouting can be heard as he fights with the dragon. Smoke and dust emerges out of the wheat field from the fight. Bowen's shouting and screaming continues and suddenly, there was silence. Bowen's horse gallops out from the smoke and dust. Bowen soon walks out of the smoke coughing with a large dragon's tooth in his left-hand and his sword in his right-hand.

"Get back here, horse. You coward." Bowen says

"Marvelous! Heroics befitting the days of Arthur and the Round Table! Never have I seen such skill!" Gilbert says

"Then, you must have lived the sheltered life of a monk." Bowen says

"Why yes. A Scribe, Scholar, Historian, and Poet. Your servant, sir. Brother Gilbert of Glockenspur. My humble life is in debt to your exalted prowess, your dauntless courage, and your superb, swift sword." Gilbert says

"You have the poet's gift of exaggeration." Bowen says

"Sir, you should read my histories. But you belittle your talent. Modesty as well as valor. The Code of ancient Camelot still lives." Gilbert says

"Hardly worthy of Camelot. Still, it's one less dragon." Bowen says

The two men were soon approached by four horsemen. One of them, King Einon's advisor named Felton congratulates Bowen on his victory against the dragon.

"Well done, Knight! Congratulations. Our gratitude mine and King Einon's." Felton says

"You can keep your gratitude. I'll take the gold. Yours or the King's." Bowen says

"Gold, Knight?" Felton asks

"We made a bargain remember? One dragon put down, one bag of gold." Bowen says

"Your honor has a price, Sir Knight?" Gilbert asks

"It has expenses. Honor won't fill my belly nor shoe my horse." Bowen says

"The Priest is right. It is your duty to protect King Einon's vassals as a knight of the realm." Felton says

"Not of this realm. I bend no knee to Einon." Bowen says

"I should have known. Foreign riffraff! Well, begone, vagabond, before I arrest you!" Felton says

Felton turns his attention toward the peasants that were hiding in the wheat field.

"Back to work, you scum! If King Einon's wheat isn't cut before the rain, I'll do a little cutting of my own!" Felton says

The peasants return to their work on the wheat field while Bowen mounts his horse and takes his leave going down the road.

"Sir Knight! Sir Knight, wait!" Gilbert says

Gilbert mounts his donkey and rides up alongside Bowen.

"Sir Knight! Hear me out! I'm on a pilgrimage. Might we travel together?" Gilber says

"The road's still free unless Einon's taxed it." Bowen says

With that said, Bowen and Gilbert stride off down the road while Felton watches them go.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Einon now a young grown man and King of Camelot walked through the castle grounds of his fortress with his bow and quiver full of arrows. Felton walked up to him with a suggestion.

"A road tax, King Einon. Hmm? A road tax. I mean they are your roads after all. People really ought to pay for the privilege of using them. And those that can't pay will have to work it off." Felton says

"Ingenious, Felton. Only you could keep such a good brain under such a bad hat." Einon says

Brok walks up to Einon past Felton with a falcon on his left-hand.

"Out of the way, peacock." Brok says

"Brok, some are good at hunting men, some are good at hunting money. Both have value to me." Einon says

Einon, Brok and their men mount their horses and ride out of the castle for some sport.

( _Moments later_ )

In a valley of rock, several peasants were working in a labor camp. One of the peasants named Kara looks toward her elderly father who was the man who killed Einon's father and almost had his eyes gouged out.

"Kara, I told you-I told you not to come here anymore." The man says

"I'm a disobedient child." Kara says

Kara takes a cup of water in her hands and holds it to her father.

"Go on. Take a drink." Kara says

Suddenly, an arrow shoots the cup out of Kara's hand. The arrow was shot by Einon who rode into the camp with Felton and Brok.

"Magnificent shot, your Highness." Felton says

"Care to double the wager?" Einon says

"Ah, yes, happily. Shall we say, the water bucket." Felton says

Einon takes aim and shoots the water bucket past in between Kara and her father.

"Superb!" Felton says

"Double again?" Einon says

"Double again. Why not?" Felton says

Kara starts walking toward Einon, Brok, and Felton.

"A moving target." Felton says

"Peasant scum." Brok says

"You've got a nerve interfering with the king's sport!" Einon says

"There's no sport in tormenting a sick, old man. I beg, Your Majesty, let him go. It's been 12 years. Your castle is built. He could do you no more harm. For God's sake, release him." Kara says

Einon aims his arrow toward Kara's Father and shoots him. The arrow hits Kara's Father directly in the chest piercing his heart.

"Father!" Kara cries out

"I've always said death was a release, not a punishment." Einon says

Einon takes his leave with Brok and Felton while Kara rushes to her father who was now dead.

"Father..." Kara says

Kara takes her father's red headband and wraps it around her right-hand, making a vow that she would someday avenge his death.

( _Elsewhere_ )

Near a waterfall down by a stream, a blue portal of light opened and out stepped Ducar in his Keyblade Armor. The portal of light closes and Ducar's Keyblade Armor magically disappears in a flash of light. Ducar looks around his surroundings and found himself standing near a stream home to a waterfall. Suddenly, a group of Unversed surrounded him. The Unversed that surrounded Ducar were Flood, Scrapper, and Buckle Bruisers. Ducar immediately summons his Keyblade: Vanguard of Honor in a flash of light in his right-hand and gets into battle stance.

"More Unversed." Ducar says

As Ducar prepared to fight the Unversed, a dragon disguised as a rock watched him fight the Unversed. Never had the dragon seen such a warrior nor the monsters that surrounded him.

One Flood leaps forward at Ducar with it's claws, but he jumps into the air and casts down the Flood with a single swipe of his Keyblade. Two more Flood try to attack Ducar at the same time. Without even looking, Ducar jumps into the air and spins around swinging his Keyblade at both of the Unversed, taking them both out.

Nine Flood Unversed stalked toward Ducar while he stood fast. Before any of the Unversed could attack, Ducar motions his Keyblade back, then quickly swinging his Keyblade upward, downward, then swinging left and right, taking out six Flood each with a swing of his Keyblade. He jumps toward one Flood cleaving his Keyblade downward, spins toward another Flood swinging his Keyblade, then finally cleaves his Keyblade down on another Flood.

One Scrapper tries to swipe it's claws at Ducar, but strikes down the Unversed with his Keyblade, performing a cartwheel kick. Two more Scrappers try to attack Ducar at the same time, but he kicks them both back with a splitting kick.

Four Scrappers emerge from the shadows and surround Ducar. With the Unversed surrounding him, Ducar motions his Keyblade back and spins around, creating a whirlwind that sent the Unversed flying. Ducar takes his left-hand and grabs hold of a Buckle Bruiser with telekinetic force and sends it flying into several Flood Unversed.

As he stood against the remaining Unversed, Ducar and his Keyblade began to glow with a white aura. Within moments, Ducar attacks the Buckle Bruisers by warping around them while placing spikes of energy from every angle. The energy from these spikes is eventually released creating a powerful shockwave that decimates the Unversed, finishing the fight.

With the Unversed defeated, Ducar de-summons his Keyblade.

"That was quite excellent swordsmanship, noble knight." A voice says

Ducar looked around searching for the source of the voice.

"What?" Ducar asks

"Never have I seen such a courageous knight fight like that before. Truly you are a warrior of great skill." The voice says

"Who's there?" Ducar asks

Ducar turned around and saw the rocks behind him change into a dragon.

"I must say, you are quite brave, knight. What are you called?" The dragon says

Ducar places his right-hand on his chest and bows in respect toward the dragon.

"I'm Ducar, Keyblade Wielder of Light."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Ducar. You are quite a skilled warrior. Never have I seen such feat in combat. Not many knights fight as well as you I'm sure." Ducar says

"That is cause not many knights wield a Keyblade like I do." Ducar says

Ducar holds his right-hand out and summons his Keyblade in a flash of light. The dragon looked upon Ducar's Keyblade with great interest. He was intrigued by the design of the Keyblade.

"Incredible. The weapon you carry is very mysterious and I sense a great power coming from it." The dragon says

"The weapon I wield is called the Keyblade. It is a weapon of great power that grants it's wielder mystic powers and abilities." Ducar says

"Of course. I have heard rumors about the Keyblade Wielders, but I have never met any in all my life. It is truly an honor to meet you, Ducar, Keyblade Wielder of Light." The dragon says

The dragon bows it's head before Ducar.

"I am truly honored. Thank you." Ducar says

The dragon soon turns his head toward the stream further downward.

"Someone is coming. It is best we should hide." The dragon says

"Agreed." Ducar says

Ducar heads into a cave behind the waterfall and hides behind some rocks. He looked around and saw dozens of skeletons and corpses lying around.

"Nice." Ducar mutters

The dragon disguises himself back as a large rock as the figures approached. Bowen rides his horse up the stream armed with a spear and a leather shield.

"Yoo-hoo! Yoo-hoo! I've decided to compose _'The Ballad of Bowen'_! How do you prefer I should write this?" Gilbert says

"Far away!" Bowen says

"Oh, don't concern yourself with my safety! I mean verse, meter. Shall I spice it up with a poetical flourish or just the cold, hard facts?" Gilbert says climbing the rocks and sitting on the disguised dragon's head

"If you do not be quiet, you and I shall be the only cold hard things around here." Bowen says

"I mean, it's all very well to go hacking and whacking at dragons. But if a dragon falls in the forest and nobody gets to hear about it, does it make a thud?" Gilbert says

"Brother Gilbert." Bowen says

"What?" Gilbert says

"Shh!" Bowen says putting a finger to his lips

The Knight then points toward the waterfall behind him. Brother Gilbert nods in understanding.

"The quill is mightier than the s-" Gilbert says

Brother Gilbert taps his quill onto the disguised dragon's head, making it shake. The dragon slowly reverts back to his normal form and rises to it's feet, knocking Gilbert off it's head and into the stream. The dragon retreats into the waterfall.

"What is it?" Ducar asks

"Just a knight and a monk. Don't worry. I'll take care of them." The dragon says

"By the way, like the decorations. Very homey." Ducar says

"Thanks. Watch this." The dragon says

The dragon takes one of the skeletal corpses and tosses it out toward Bowen who ducks down.

"That's the last of the Dragonslayer who tangled with me! If I were you, I'd quit while I was ahead." The dragon says

Bowen takes his spear and tosses it toward the waterfall. Inside, the dragon catches the spear in his claws.

"Is that the best you can do?" The dragon taunts

The dragon takes the spear and breaks it into several pieces, then tosses it back out toward Bowen.

"Catch!" The dragon says

Bowen holds up his leather shield, protecting himself from the broken spear.

"You know, I've got quite a collection of victims in here." The dragon says

"I won't be added to it!" Bowen says

Bowen dismounts his horse and draws his sword walking toward the waterfall.

"I've given you my final warning." The dragon says

"Into the mouth of death he strode. Into the gringy gloom. Into the pit of fear unknown, perhaps to court his doom. That was good. What did I say? What did I say?" Gilbert says

The dragon spews fire out of the waterfall, causing Gilbert to dive into the water.

"Care for a ride?" The dragon asks

"I don't see why not. But I'd best disguise myself." Ducar says

Ducar presses on his left-pauldron with his right-hand and he switches into his Keyblade armor in a flash of light. The dragon was even more impressed when he saw this.

"Impressive." The dragon says

Ducar climbs onto the dragon's back sitting behind the dragon's neck. Both Ducar and the dragon were hidden by the darkness of the cave.

"A little damp for fire, isn't it?" Bowen says

"Why must you knight errants out to make a name for yourselves always pick on us dragons?" The dragon asks

"I don't need a name! And I have a collection of my own!" Bowen says

"Yeah? You one who kills dragons for money." The dragon says

"It's honest enough work. One must earn a living." Bowen says

"Oh yes, one must live. Well, since you seek a profit, we might as well begin." The dragon says

"Oh don't flatter yourself. It's not the profit. It's the pleasure." Bowen says

"Perhaps less pleasurable and more costly than you think!" The dragon says

With that said, the dragon with Ducar on his back takes off out of the cave, bursting out of the waterfall with Bowen in hot pursuit on his horse. Bowen chases the dragon and Ducar on his horse out into an open field. Bowen takes some bolas and throws it toward the dragon. The bolas wraps around the dragon's right-leg. Bowen had Ducar and the dragon caught. Suddenly, the rope on the horse's saddle snaps and Bowen falls off the horse and holds onto the rope. The dragon drags Bowen through some bushes and shrubbery.

"You can't fly forever!" Bowen says

"Neither can you! Come! Visit the woods!" The dragon says

The dragon flies higher into the air, lifting Bowen off the ground and dragging him into the nearby woods. Bowen still manages to hold onto the rope as he flies into branches and past trees.

"Look out! Well done!" The dragon says

Bowen slams into a tree.

"Ow!" Bowen says

"Pity. That must have hurt." The dragon says

Bowen slams into another tree.

"Again?" The dragon says

Bowen slams into another tree.

"And again? How do you like the ride so far? We're earning our money now, aren't we?" The dragon says

Bowen notices a rising log up ahead.

"Now is there somewhere you would like me to drop you off?" The dragon asks

Bowen takes the saddle and latches it onto the log. The dragon is yanked back and Ducar is thrown off the dragon's back.

"Yikes!" The dragon exclaims

"Whoa!" Ducar exclaims

Ducar and the dragon crash into a clearing in the woods. Bowen walks toward the area where Ducar and the dragon crashed. Brother Gilbert soon manages to catch up.

"The sword against the fang and claw. The flame against the shield. Blah, blah, blah, which one would win? Blah, blah, field, shield, wield, whose flesh from bones be peeled. Oh no. Whose fate would soon be sealed." Gilbert says to himself

Gilbert heads up on a small hill and saw Bowen, Ducar, and the dragon facing off against each other. Ducar manages to untie the bolas from the dragon's leg.

"Thanks." The dragon says

Ducar nods happy to help.

"Oh you're good. Haven't had this sort of challenge in some time." Bowen says

"Nor likely to again!" The dragon says

The dragon swung his tail at Bowen, but the knight jumps over the dragon's tail. The dragon swung his tail back and forth at Bowen, but the knight kept his distance. The dragon eventually manages to throw Bowen back using the flat side of his tail, knocking him into a tree. The dragon swings his tail at Bowen nearly decapitating him and cutting the tree in half. The dragon swings his tail down on Bowen who rolls out of the way. Bowen vaults over a log as the dragon brings his tail down. The dragon's tail was soon caught in the log.

"Drat!" The dragon curses

"A little overconfident, aren't we?" Bowen says

"Hardly. But if you win, you'll be out of work." The dragon says

"I will not stop until I rid the world of every last one of you." Bowen says

"I am the last one!" The dragon says

"And not if I have anything to say about that." Ducar says

Ducar jumps over the dragon and lands infront of him, defending the dragon from Bowen with his Keyblade drawn.

"Made a friend, have we? Someone to protect your scaley hide?" Bowen asks

"Someone who is loyal to his friends!" Ducar says

Ducar leaps toward Bowen and cleaves his Keyblade down on the knight, but Bowen holds his sword up, blocking Ducar's Keyblade. Bowen swings the Keyblade away and tries to swing his sword at Ducar, aiming for his right-shoulder. Ducar leaps to the side, dodging Bowen's sword, and twirls around, swinging his Keyblade with a horizontal slash. Bowen holds his sword vertically, blocking Ducar's blow. He swings his sword at Ducar, but he backflips away, dodging the blow, and throws his Keyblade toward him. Bowen jumps over to the left and rolls across the ground, dodging Ducar's Keyblade as it flew over him. Ducar summons his Keyblade back to his hand and leaps toward Bowen. Bowen quickly rises to his feet and blocks Ducar's Keyblade as he brings it down on him, forcing the two into a blade lock.

"You are quite a skilled warrior, I'll give you that." Bowen says

"That's funny. I was going to say the same about you." Ducar says

Ducar kicks Bowen directly in the stomach, knocking him back.

"You're turn." Ducar says to the dragon

"My pleasure." The dragon says

"Trying to save your scaley hide with tricks." Bowen says

"Haven't you noticed the pickings are rather slim these days?" The dragon asks

"I got me one just the other day." Bowen says

"So it was you who killed the Scarred One. She and I were the last. Must've been a proud kill, warrior. How much gold did her tattered carcass put in your purse?" The dragon says

"That's none of your business." Bowen says

"Couldn't have been very much. And you'll kill me for sport? And when there are no more dragons to slay, how will you make a living, Knight?" The dragon says

"Shut up!" Bowen says

The dragon opens it's mouth and grabs Bowen in his jaws. Just when it seemed like the dragon was going to devour the knight, Bowen brings his sword up into the top of his mouth, making him groan in pain.

"If your teeth come down, my sword goes up, right into your brain!" Bowen says

( _Later that night_ )

Bowen and the dragon were still in their little struggle, waiting for one to make a mistake. Ducar sat on the ground with his legs crossed, watching the dragon and the knight.

"If your sword goes up, my teeth come down." The dragon says

"Into the moonlit night, the titans dueled, in mortal combat bound. Oh, who'd the fatal false step make? Whose blood would stain the ground?" Gilbert says

Gilbert yawns and soon falls asleep. Ducar sat on the ground with his legs crossed meditating. Still trapped in the dragon's jaws, Bowen notices a bony arm in between the dragon's teeth. He grabs the bony arm and shakes it loose.

"Oh, good lord. Sir Eglamore." Bowen says recognizing who the arm belonged to

Bowen tosses the bony arm out of the dragon's mouth.

"Oh, thank you very much. It's been stuck in there for months. Now, can you get your buttocks off of my tongue?" The dragon says

"Why should you be comfortable? My armor is rusting in your drool and your breath is absolutely foul." Bowen says

"Well, what do you expect, with old knights rotting between my molars? It seems were in bit of a stalemate, wouldn't you say?" The dragon says

"I can go three days without sleep." Bowen says

"I can go three weeks." The dragon says

"I'll stab you before I nod off." Bowen says

"And I'll chomp you." The dragon says

"Marvelous, so you'll both kill each other." Ducar says

"What do you suggest?" Bowen asks looking back at Ducar

"A truce." Ducar says

"Excellent idea, Ducar. Knight, get out of my mouth and we'll talk face-to-face." The dragon says

"How do I know I can trust you two?" Bowen asks

"We'd give you our word." Ducar says

"As will I." The dragon says

"The word of a dragon. It's worthless." Bowen says

"Stubborn lout!" The dragon says

The dragon takes it's tongue and pushes Bowen out of his jaws. Bowen falls to the ground flat on his back. The dragon takes his left-paw and pins Bowen on the ground. Ducar rises to his feet, stands next to the dragon, and points his Keyblade down toward Bowen.

"I should have known! Go on! Kill me!" Bowen says

Ducar removes his helmet, revealing his face to the downed knight.

"We never wanted to kill you. And I don't want you to kill this dragon." Ducar says

"Ducar is right, Knight. How do you gain? If you win, you lose a trade. If I win, I wait around for the next sword slinger thirsting to carve a reputation out of my hide. And I'm tired of lurking in holes and skulking in darkness. We're going to let you up now. And if you insist, we can pursue this fracas to its final stupidity. Or you can listen to the alternative." The dragon says

The dragon lifts his paw and Ducar steps back to let Bowen up. Bowen rises to his feet and grabs his sword while the dragon and Ducar look at him, expecting an answer.

"What's the alternative?" Bowen asks

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hey guys! Guess what? It's my birthday! Bring out the cake, the gifts, and balloons! It's time to party! And since it is my birthday, I've decided to put up this next chapter for all of you. Now, it's time for Ducar to visit the world of Dragonheart. Here, Ducar enters the realm of Camelot where he meets the Knight of the Old Code, Bowen, and the dragon, Draco. Here, he shall find friendship with the knight and the dragon as they come to learn about one another. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please! Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	16. Draco and Ducar

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Next Day_ )

The peasants were working in a wheat field near a village. Suddenly, a young boy looks up toward the sky and saw the dragon with Ducar in his Keyblade Armor on his back.

"Look! Father! Look!" The boy says

Ducar and the Dragon fly in toward the village, scaring the peasants.

"Dragon!" A peasant screams

The peasants immediately flee and panic.

"Out of the way! Out of the way! Out of the way!" The dragon says

The dragon unleashes a large stream of fire setting the fields ablaze away from the villagers.

 _"I know I'd be shirking my duty as a Keyblade Wielder, but who's to say you can't have a little bit of fun?"_ Ducar thought to himself

On cue, Bowen rides up to the village. Einon's advisor, Felton bursts out of one of the houses and sees Bowen.

"Pesky critters, dragons." Bowen says

"You!" Felton exclaims

"Like big rats. You never seem to be rid of them. Unless you pay me two bags of gold, in advance." Bowen says

( _Moments later_ )

Bowen takes a spear and loads it onto a catapult while Felton and the villagers watch.

"Come on, dragon. Come on, dragon." Bowen says impatiently

Ducar and the dragon soon fly into view. Bowen takes his sword and swings it down on the rope firing the catapult. The dragon grabs the spear and pretendingly stabs himself with it

"Ow!" The dragon exclaims

Ducar and the dragon drop out from the sky and fall into a nearby lake. The villagers cheer and Bowen was given the two bags of gold. With his payment, Bowen strides off on his horse. Ducar and the dragon swim underwater following the stream to avoid attention. When they were far enough from civilization, Ducar and the dragon emerge from the water. The dragon then laid his eyes upon a flock of sheep.

"Hmm. Hello." The dragon says smacking his lips

( _Moments later_ )

Ducar and the dragon met up with Bowen in the open fields.

"Twenty-eight, Twenty-nine. Most profitable, dragon. I should have met you and Ducar a long time ago." Bowen laughs

"There is much gold in the world. Perhaps when you had you're fill of it, you'll no longer need us." The dragon says

"I am the Knight of the Old Code. My word is my bond." Bowen says

"No compucations then?" The dragon asks

"About what?" Bowen asks

"Well, such deception hardly befits the Knight of the Old Code." The dragon says

"Fleecing Einon's lackeys. That's a service to mankind." Bowen laughs

"Is it? When you squeeze the nobility, it's the peasats who feel the pinch." The dragon says

"That's not my concern. Why should I stick my neck out for people afraid to risk their own? Don't clutter up a clever scheme with morality." Bowen says

"So be it, Knight of the Old Code." The dragon says

"If I wanted my conscience pricked, I would've stayed with the priest! And what does a dragon know of the Old Code, anyway?" Bowen says

"His blade defends the helpless. His might upholds the weak. His words speaks only truth." The dragon says

"Shut up! I remember it. That's all it is, a memory. Nothing can bring it back." Bowen says

"You sound like one who tried." The dragon says

"And failed. So I no longer try to change the world, I try to get by in it." Bowen says

"Yes, it's better than death, I suppose." The dragon says

"Oh really? I should think you'd welcome death. You know, the last of your kind, all your friends dead, hunted wherever you go." Bowen says

"Do you delight in reminding me? Yes, Knight. I do long for death. But I fear it." The dragon says

"Why? Aside from your misery, what's to lose?" Bowen says

"My soul." The dragon says

That word hit Ducar straight to his very heart. He knew what the dragon meant by that. To lose his soul. He remembered when he had succumbed to darkness during his fight with Lord Thanatos, the evil Keyblade Master of darkness. What would happen if he lost his soul? What would happen if he lost his heart to the darkness? What would happen if the darkness took control of him? What would his friends, Terra, Ventus, and Aqua think of him? What would his wife, Shara, think? More importantly, what would his son, Devon, think of him? The very thought of it filled Ducar's heart with slight sorrow. He placed his right-hand on his heart. Ducar took out his red Wayfinder from the pocket of his pants and looked down at it.

"I know how you feel, my friend." Ducar says softly

"Ducar, your heart. I feel that you are stricken with grief. What troubles you?" The dragon says

"Something I regretably did. I succumbed to the darkness in my heart. And nearly lost my heart in the process." Ducar says

"I see. I feel that you are troubled. But no doubt, you have a very strong heart. Tell me, you have those who care about you, don't you?" The dragon says

"I have a wife and child as well as three close friends who I keep very close to my heart." Ducar says

"Ah. So you have a family." The dragon says

"Yes." Ducar says

"You care about them, don't you?" The dragon asks

"More than anything. My only wish is to protect them." Ducar says

"Yes. Famliy is a valuable treasure to bear." The dragon says

"But it can also be a great burden." Ducar says

"Your wife and child. Tell me more about them." The dragon says

( _Later that night_ )

At Einon's Castle, Einon, his mother, Queen Aislinn, Brohk, and his men were enjoying themselves to a feast. Brok was arm wrestling a peasant on the wooden table. Brok soon breaks the man's arm winning the match. Brok shoves the man off the table.

"Should he continue, mother?" Einon asks

"Oh, the field belongs to the apparently exhaustingly Sir Brok, my son." Queen Aislinn says

Einon rose from his seat to pour himself some more wine into his cup. But before he could, he looked into the silver cup and saw Kara come through the window and draw a dagger. Kara jumps down toward Einon with a dagger in hand. Einon grabs Kara and forces her onto the table. Brok helps his king pin Kara to the table.

"The quarry! First, you come begging mercy for your father's fate, then you try to avenge it. Now, you'll share it." Einon says

"In your kingdom, Einon, there are worse fates than death." Kara says

"I'll think one up for you. Take her away." Einon says

Two men grab Kara and drag her away.

"No! No! No! No! He killed my father! He killed my father! No! He killed my father!" Kara screams as she was dragged away

Einon takes the dagger and stabs it into the wooden table. In the room, a dark black, hooded figure watches Einon.

( _The Next_ _Day_ )

That evening, Einon stood on the roof of his castle stabbing a dagger into the stone pavement. Einon could not stop thinking about Kara. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something familiar about her. As he stood there pondering to himself, the dark figure approached him

 **"I SEE THAT YOU ARE IN DEEP THOUGHT ABOUT THE GIRL, KING EINON."** A dark voice says

Einon immediately turns around facing the dark figure.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my kingdom? And how do you know my name?" Einon asks

The dark figure unfolds the hood of his cloak, revealing his identity.

 **"I AM LORD THANATOS, KEYBLADE MASTER OF DARKNESS. CONSIDER ME A FRIEND. I AM HERE BECAUSE I SEE MANY GREAT THINGS FROM YOU, EINON. YOUR AMBTITION, YOUR LUST FOR POWER, YOUR CONTROL OVER THE PEOPLE OF THIS WORLD. YOUR KINGDOM IS ONE TRULY FIT FOR ONE SUCH AS YOURSELF."**

Einon smiled upon hearing Lord Thanatos' comments of his kingdom.

"In that case, welcome, my friend." Einon says

 **"I THANK YOU FOR YOUR GREETING. FOR YOUR GENEROSITY, I OFFER YOU MY SERVICES AND MY FORCES."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos snaps his right-middle-finger and several Flood Unversed appear infront of him. Einon was a bit surprised by this.

"What is this?" Einon asks

 **"THESE, MY FRIEND, EINON, ARE KNOWN AS UNVERSED. THEY ARE CREATURES OF NEGATIVITY. FLEDGING EMOTIONS IN MONSTER FORM THAT ONLY I AND MY MASTER CAN CONTROL. I OFFER THEM TO YOU TO HELP CONTROL YOUR KINGDOM."** Lord Thanatos says

"Then, I shall gladly accept. Now, about the girl." Einon says

( _Moments later_ )

Lord Thanatos and Einon head down to the castle dungeon where Kara was bound in chains by her wrists on a stone wall. Lord Thanatos had his hood back up hiding his identity, but his eyes glowed in the darkness of his hood.

"I remember you now. I remember. You're hair, like fire." Einon says

Einon opens up his white shirt revealing his scar he got 12 years ago.

"You gave me this scar. Didn't you?" Einon says

Lord Thanatos walks up to Kara.

 **"YES. THIS GIRL IS ONE OF NATURAL BEAUTY. ONE WHO WOULD BE A FITTING MATE FOR ONE SUCH AS YOURSELF, EINON."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos strokes his right-hand on Kara's face. Kara felt the sheer coldness of Lord Thanatos' clawed metal gauntlet which making her shiver with fear.

"Indeed, my friend." Einon says

Einon motions closer to Kara while Lord Thanatos steps back.

"I... owe... you." Einon says

( _Elsewhere_ )

In the woods, Bowen was trying to light a fire using a rock and his sword as a flint to spark a patch of dried grass. Bowen had a patch of meat hanging on a stick. The dragon laid down on the ground while Ducar sat down alongside him still in his armor

"I can uh-Really I can." The dragon says

The dragon places one claw over his right-nostril, releasing a stream of fire from his other nostril, lighting up the camp fire. Bowen jumps back in surprise

"Sorry Bowen. I hope you like it well done." The dragon says

( _Later that night_ )

Bowen set his equipment down and wrapped himself up in a brown blanket.

"Ducar, why don't you tell us more about yourself and your friends?" The dragon asks

"As you both know, I am no ordinary warrior. I am a Keyblade Wielder of Light. A Protector of the Stars. A Guardian of the Universe. My duty is to maintain the balance of Light and Darkness and ensure peace is maintained throughout the worlds." Ducar says

"Your duty sounds like a noble one, Ducar." The dragon says

"It is. My friends are named: Terra, Ventus, and Aqua. My wife's name is Shara and my son's name is Devon. They are all Keyblade Wielders like myself." Ducar says

"Ah. So there is more than one." The dragon says

"Yes. We all train under Master Eraqus, our mentor, who is a great Keyblade Master. He was like a father to us. He cares about us. He sent me, Shara, Terra, and Aqua to ensure that peace is maintained throughout the worlds. But I am also in search of another Keyblade Wielder. I am searching for an old man name Master Xehanort. Which is why I am here." Ducar says

"Well, I've never heard such a name around these parts. But I have my doubts that this man you are searching for, this Master Xehanort is here." The dragon says

"Are you certain?" Ducar asks

"With all my life." The dragon says

"Right." Ducar says

"And what about your weapon. The Keyblade you call it?" The dragon asks

"Yes." Ducar says

Ducar summons his Keyblade: Vanguard of Honor into his right-hand in a flash of light.

"With a Keyblade, the user is granted with many magical powers and abilities. It also has the power to unlock doors and the hearts of others." Ducar says

"This Keyblade. It is very intriguing. A weapon that possesses great power. Truly a fascinating weapon. Thank you, Ducar for telling us everything." The dragon says

Ducar nods his head in acknowledgement. The dragon turns his attention toward Bowen.

"You must've hated us very much." The dragon says

"I hated one of you. These I killed because I wanted to kill him. But I never found him. I never will. If you're the last, he must already be dead." Bowen says

"Oh, yes. Tell us, what was he like, this, uh, dragon that you hated?" The dragon says

"He only had half a heart. But even that wasn't enough to pollute an innocent boy." Bowen says

"Einon was no innocent! He polluted the heart!" The dragon yells

"How do you know that? How do you know that, Dragon?" Bowen asks bursting from his blanket

The dragon scratches the back of his head, then answers Bowen's question.

"All dragons know that story. What was to be their hope became their doom. A spoiled, ungrateful child was given a great gift and destroyed it!" The dragon says

"No! I knew Einon. I was his teacher. I taught him the ways of honor, of right." Bowen says

"Then he betrayed you just as he betrayed the dragon whose heart he broke." The dragon says

"That's a lie, Dragon!" Bowen yells

"Stop calling me 'Dragon'! I have a name." The dragon says

"Well what is it?" Bowen asks

"You couldn't possibly pronounce it in your tongue." The dragon says

"Try me." Bowen says

"It's-" The dragon says

Just before the dragon could answer, his left-shoulder was suddenly engulfed in pain, causing the majestic creature to fall down on his back, knocking a tree down.

( _Meanwhile_ )

At the castle, Einon stumbles back hitting the stone wall with his left-shoulder bleeding. Kara backed away from Einon with a bloody dagger in her hand.

"Next time stab more flesh, less cloth." Einon says

"I'll pierce your heart!" Kara shouts

Kara tries to stab Einon again, but he grabs her and throws her onto a bed pinning her down.

"You already did. A very special heart, like no other." Einon says

"A black, withered thing without pity." Kara says

"Then teach me. Pity me. I'll give you everything. Even power. Even a throne. You're so beautiful. Just as Lord Thanatos said." Einon says

( _Meanwhile_ )

Back in the forests outside, Ducar placed his right-hand over the dragon's left-shoulder and closed his eyes. A blue light appeared on the palm of Ducar's hand and a blue aura also enveloped Ducar's body. The wound on the dragon's shoulder began to glow with the same blue light. Bowen and the dragon both watched in amazement. Soon, the dragon's shoulder was healed and the blue glow that enveloped the wound faded away. The blue aura that enveloped Ducar's body also faded away.

"Truly you are a remarkable Keyblade Wielder. Thank you, Ducar. It's passed now." The dragon says

"You are most welcome, my friend. But what was that?" Ducar says

"An old complaint that acts up now and again." The dragon says

"Forgive me if anything I said, if I upset you." Bowen says

"It wasn't you, not you." The dragon says

( _Meanwhile_ )

At Einon's castle, Kara was looking out the window of the room when she suddenly saw a part of the cold stone floor move. A passageway opened up on the floor. But what surprised her mostly was Einon's Mother, Queen Aislinn emerged from the passageway. Kara backs away in fear of her life.

"Don't worry. I won't let you suffer the same fate as me. I've come to help you." Queen Aislinn says

Kara accepts Queen Aislinn's aid as she leads her into the underground water system of the castle. Queen Aislinn shows Kara the passageway into a cavern leading out of the castle.

"This will bring you out well below the castle walls." Queen Aislinn says

Kara heads into the cavern. She soon stops and comes back wanting to thank Queen Aislinn

"Thank-" Kara says

Kara saw the stone door close.

"You." Kara says

Kara heads back into the cavern and escapes the castle.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Bowen was still awake keeping overwatch looking up to the stars. The dragon and Ducar wake up and saw Bowen looking up toward the stars.

"Have you been watching over us all night?" The dragon asks

"I've been thinking." Bowen says

"Yes? About what?" The dragon asks

"Many things. Mostly about what to call you. I think I've got a name for you." Bowen says

"You say that as though you reached up and plucked it from the sky." The dragon says

"I did. Up there." Bowen says pointing up toward the stars

"Do you see that group of stars?" Bowen says

"I know those stars very well." The dragon says

"Can you see the shape they make?" Bowen asks

"Mm-hmm. A dragon." The dragon says

"Yes. They call it 'Draco'. It means 'dragon' in the scholar's speech." Bowen says

The dragon chuckles.

"So instead of calling me 'Dragon' in your tongue, you'll call me 'Dragon' in some other tongue." The dragon says

"You're right. It's silly." Bowen says

"No. No, I would be honored to be named after those stars. I-I truly would. Thank you, Bowen. Draco. Draco." The dragon says

"You know, where I come from, they say all those stars are actually other worlds. And the light is their hearts, and it shines down on us like a million lanterns." Ducar says

"Really?" Draco asks feeling intrigued

"Yes. It's something I remember telling my friends." Ducar says

( _Flashback_ )

Ducar remembers the night when he, Shara, Terra, Ventus, and Aqua sat underneath the stars back on the Land of Departure.

 _"Hey, Aqua. You ever wonder what stars are? Where light comes from?" Ven asks_

 _"Hmm... well they say-" Aqua says_

 _"That every star up there is another world." A male voice says interrupting Aqua_

Ventus and Aqua turned around and saw that the voice belonged to Terra.

 _"Terra." Aqua says_

 _"Yep. Hard to believe that there are so many worlds out there than just ours." Terra says_

 _"And there's more to those stars." Another male voice says_

This voice belonged to Ducar who stood alongside his wife, Shara.

 _"The light is their hearts, and it shines down on us like a million lanterns." Ducar says_

 _"What? I don't get it." Ven says confused_

 _"In other words, they're just like you, Ven." Terra says_

 _"What does that mean?" Ven asks_

 _"You'll find out someday." Terra says_

 _"I wanna know now." Ven says_

 _"You're too young to know now." Terra says_

 _"Quit treating me some kid." Ven says_

As Ven and Terra argue amongst themselves, Ducar, Aqua and Shara laugh.

 _"Hey, what are you all laughing at?" Terra asks_

 _"I can't help it. You two would make the weirdest brothers." Aqua laughs_

 _"I hear that." Ducar laughs_

Ventus, Terra, Aqua, Shara, and Ducar all laugh underneath the stars.

( _Present time_ )

Ducar smiled remembering that moment. He took out his red Wayfinder and looked at it.

"Ah. That is something very special you carry, isn't it, Ducar?" Draco asks

"Yeah. It is. My friend, Aqua, gave it to me. She told me and my friends that somewhere out there in the stars, there's a tree with star-shaped fruit and the fruit represents an unbreakable connection. An unbreakable friendship. So as long as you carry good luck charms shaped like it, nothing will ever drive you apart. You will always find a way back to each other." Ducar says

"Hm. That really is something special." Draco says

"It sure is." Ducar says

Ducar looks up toward the constellation.

"You know, before I became a Keyblade Wielder, I remember seeing that constellation with my wife and child back in our own homeworld." Ducar says

( _Flashback_ )

Ducar remembers when he, his wife, Shara, and his 5 year-old son, Devon saw the constellation: Draco back on their homeworld: The Celestial Realm.

It was a calm night with a full moon that glowed with blue light, bathing the realm with it's soothing light. Rainbow colored auroras glowed in the night sky. And comets of light streaked across the night sky.

Ducar stood outside his home on the beach with his wife, Shara while Devon was building a sand castle. Ducar and Shara looked toward each other and smiled as they watched Devon play around in the sand. Then, they both looked up and saw the constellation: Draco in the stars. Ducar walked over to his son, kneeled down to him, patted his left-shoulder with his right-hand, and pointed him to the constellation.

 _"Devon, look. There's the constellation: Draco. It's name means 'Dragon'." Ducar says pointing up to the constellation_

 _"Cool!" Devon says_

 _"It's beautiful." Shara says_

 _"It sure is." Ducar says_

Ducar rose up on his feet and turns to look at his wife.

 _"Just like you." Ducar says_

Shara looked back at her husband and smiled. Ducar stroked his right-hand on Shara's face, looking in to her eyes while she looked into his. The two leaned in closer to each other and shared their passion with a loving kiss. Ducar and Shara looked back up toward the night sky and continued to watch the stars shimmer and glow with their son. Ducar would never forget that moment.

( _Present time_ )

"I lived in the Celestial Realms all my life with my wife and child. It was peaceful, pure, and serene." Ducar says

"I bet your home is quite beautiful." Draco says

"Indeed, it is. To think of my glorious home. It's a good feeling." Ducar says

Ducar, Draco, and Bowen continued to look up toward the constellation: Draco watching it glimmer in the night sky.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Alrighty. So Bowen and Draco learn more about Ducar as he tells them his story about where he, Shara, and Devon first lived before they ever became Keyblade Wielders and how Ducar remembers seeing the constellation: Draco on his homeworld: The Celestial Realm. I've been trying to come up with different names for Devon's homeworld, and so far The Celestial Realm was the best I could come up with. If you guys would like to offer any ideas or names for Devon's homeworld, that would be awesome. I also found a voice reference for young Devon in this story. Young Devon is now voiced by Austin Majors, the voice of young Jim Hawkins from Disney's _Treasure Planet_. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please! Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	17. A lesson among warriors

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Next Day_ )

After escaping from Einon's castle, Kara reached her village to try and get the villagers to rebel against Einon, but the villagers would not listen. Instead, they all threw vegetables at Kara. Kara's face had smudges of mud on her.

"Throw off the yoke of Einon's oppression! We must fight back!" Kara says

One villager named Hewe walks toward Kara. Hewe was one of the rebel villagers who had a leather eye-patch on his left-eye.

"Your father sang that sour tune once and we did fight back. And once was enough! We will not dance to it again!" Hewe sys

"No, Hewe, just cringe like a dog under Einon's boot." Kara says

"At least a cringing dog's a live one!" Hewe says

Hewe grabs a melon and tries to throw it at Kara, but in that moment, Bowen arrives on his horse and takes the fruit out of Hewe's hand.

"Hey! Why waste good food on bad rhetoric?" Bowen says

"I speak the truth." Kara says

"Truth? It's rarely inspiring, lass. And it never wins rebellions, but it will stretch necks, if there is a neck underneath that little mud pie." Bowen says

Bowen hands the melon to Kara, but she mushes it in his face, which made the villagers laugh. Soon, Draco with Ducar on his back in his Keyblade Armor arrives.

"Ready or not, here we come!" Draco says

"Dragon!" A woman screams

The peasants began to flee and panic.

"About time." Bowen says

Draco lands on a large rock on a nearby hill watching the village.

"It seems you people are in need of a Dragonslayer. Where is the lord responsible for this village?" Bowen says

"Brok lives in a big house about six miles away. But he'll only blame any damage on us and pluck our pockets to pay for it." Hewe says

"I won't pluck them as deeply. I'll make you a fair offer. Take it, or leave him!" Bowen says

Draco unleashes a stream of fire roaring into the air.

"It's enough you people grovel to Einon. Will you be bullied by some broken-down, blackmailing knight as well?" Kara says

Bowen laughs.

"That's right, you don't need me. Settle it yourself. Of course, there are other ways. Perhaps you'll part with one of your precious daughters, instead of gold." Bowen says

"No!" Hewe says rushing to his three daughters

"Dragons are partial to maiden sacrifices, I hear." Bowen says

Upon hearing that, all the villagers look toward Kara.

( _Moments later_ )

Kara was strapped to a pole on a wagon and brought out into the open field.

"Don't do this! Don't do this to me! I was born in this village! You knew my father! You knew my mother!" Kara says

As the villagers brought Kara into the open fields, Bowen met up with Draco and Ducar on the hill.

"Who's the girl?" Draco asks

"A nuisance. Get rid of her." Bowen says

"Why?" Draco asks

"They're trying to placate you with a sacrifice." Bowen says

"Now, whoever gave them that idea?" Ducar asks

"Never mind. Just get rid of her!" Bowen says

"How?" Draco asks

"Eat her!" Bowen says

"Oh please." Draco says

"You ate Sir Eglamore, hypocrite." Bowen says

"I merely chewed in self-defense, but I never swallowed." Draco says

"Improvise." Bowen says

"All right, all right." Draco says

Draco and Ducar take off into the air and head for Kara. Kara screams and panics. Soon, Draco lifts the wagon taking Kara with him. As he flies away, Draco drops the wagon, making the villagers believe that Kara was eaten.

( _Moments later_ )

Bowen heads out to meet up with Draco and Ducar in the forests after they didn't show up back at the village. Bowen hears Draco singing which had him confused.

At the waterfall where Ducar and Bowen first met Draco, Ducar was in his regular clothing training with his Keyblade while Kara sat on a rock, listening to Draco's singing.

"Your voice is beautiful." Kara says

"Yes. I never knew dragons were so fond of singing." Ducar says

"Oh, why thank you. We dragons love to sing when we are happy." Draco says

"Well, you're not like a dragon at all." Kara says

"Well, how many dragons do you know?" Draco asks

"Well, you're the first." Kara says

"You should never listen to minstrels' fancies. A dragon would never hurt a soul, unless they tried to hurt him first." Draco says

"Really? Then, why were you in my village?" Kara asks

"Oh! The village!" Draco exclaims

"Yes! The village! You remember the village?" A voice says

Bowen rides toward Draco, Ducar, and Kara. Kara rises to her feet and stands infront of Ducar and Draco with a dagger in her right-hand.

"Leave them alone, you bully! Run, Draco! Run, Ducar, fly! I'll hold him! Pick on someone your own size!" Kara says

"Where have you two been?" Bowen asks

"We're truly sorry, Bowen." Draco says

"We were distracted." Ducar says

"Bowen, meet Kara." Draco says

"You should've eaten her." Bowen says

"Oh, don't get angry, Bowen." Draco says

"Why not? You two left me high and dry. I was worried to death!" Bowen says

"Worried? About us?" Draco asks

"Yes! About you! I had the whacker all set up. Half the village is out there with me. We're searching the skies for you, I don't know where you are. If you're coming back, when you're coming back. You just-" Bowen says

Suddenly, something catches Draco's eye and he retreats into the waterfall.

"Draco?" Ducar says feeling confused

"Be careful. He's coming." Draco says

Ducar, Bowen, and Kara turn their attention down the stream and they see Einon, Brok, three of Einon's men, and Lord Thanatos with his cloak on and hood up approaching them. Lord Thanatos rode a black demonic horse which had glowing red eyes like him, bloody horseshoes, and blood oozing from its nostrils. Einon rode his white horse. Brok rode a brown horse. And the three horsemen rode one white horse and two brown horses.

"Well, well, well, it can't be. But it is! My old mentor. Giving more carving lessons?" Einon says

"Get off your horse. I'll give you one." Bowen says

"Time's not been kind to you, Bowen. You should never have broke with me." Einon says

"It was you who broke with me!" Bowen says

"And yet you return to me with the girl I lost." Einon says

"I think she wants to stay lost." Bowen says

"Not her decision, I'm afraid!" Einon says

Einon quickly turns his attention toward Ducar.

"And what's this? Another knight? He seems to be quite a challenge." Einon says

"Leave Ducar out of this. This is between you and me." Bowen says

"So it is." Einon says

Einon dismounts his horse and draws his sword.

"I'm ready for my lesson now, Knight." Einon says

Bowen steps forward into the stream and draws his sword. Einon also steps into the stream. Both men stared at each other. Within moments, the two men clashed swords. Bowen swung his sword upward, downward, left and right at Einon who manages to block Bowen's sword. Einon tries to swing his sword down at Bowen, but he misses. Bowen puts his sword down on Einon's back.

"That's one lesson you never learned. Only expose your back to a corpse." Bowen says

Einon knocks Bowen's sword away with a swipe of his sword.

"You are a corpse! You just don't know it!" Einon says

It was now Einon's turn to strike. Einon swung his sword left and right and even lunges his sword at Bowen, but the knight blocks each of Einon's blows and dodges the lunge. One attack from Einon knocks Bowen down to the ground. Einon points his sword at Bowen.

"Lie down, Bowen! You're the sorry scrap of dead worlds and dead beliefs!" Einon says

"No! They were your beliefs!" Bowen yells bursting up onto his feet

"Never. Never mine." Einon says

"You said the words! You spoke them from your heart!" Bowen yells

"I vomited them up because I couldn't stomach them! Because I knew it was what you wanted to hear!" Einon yells

"Lies! Liar! I taught you!" Bowen yells

"You taught me to fight, that's all! I took what I needed from you! You taught me to fight!" Einon yells

Einon continues his attack and swings his sword upward, downward, left and right several times. Eventually, he catches Bowen off guard and stabs him directly in his right-shoulder.

"You taught me well." Einon says

Einon turned around and began to walk away. He secretly took out a dagger and threw it toward Bowen. Before the dagger could finish off the knight, Ducar jumps in and blocks the dagger with his Keyblade.

"I knew this warrior would be a challenge." Einon says

Einon was about to draw his sword, but Lord Thanatos stops him.

 **"NO, EINON. YOUR FIGHT IS WITH YOUR MENTOR. THE KEYBLADE WIELDER IS MINE."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos dismounts his demonic horse and walks toward Ducar while Einon steps back agreeingly. Lord Thanatos pulls his hood back, revealing his identity to Ducar.

"Lord Thanatos. I should have known." Ducar says staring down his arch enemy

Bowen and Kara were slightly shocked when they saw Lord Thanatos' appearance. Even Draco hiding behind the waterfall was shocked when he saw the evil Keyblade Master.

Lord Thanatos whips off his black cloak, revealing his armored bodysuit. Lord Thanatos crosses his arms and thrusts them out, causing a dark blue aura and dark blue sparks of electricity to envelope his body. Lord Thanatos stretches his right-hand out and summoned his Dark Keyblade: Harbinger of Shadows. Ducar got into battle stance holding his Keyblade: Vanguard of Honor close to his right-side with both his hands.

 **"I LOOK FORWARD TO HUMILIATING YOU INFRONT OF YOUR FRIENDS. NOW, THEY WILL SEE HOW WEAK YOU ARE."** Lord Thanatos says

"No. There is strength among weakness." Ducar says

 **"THEN, SHOW ME."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos strikes first, thrusting his left-hand forward, hurling a barrage of dark blue lightning at Ducar who blocks against the electric storm with his Keyblade, holding it infront of his face. Ducar swings his Keyblade to the right, sending the lightning bolts away and charges toward Lord Thanatos. Ducar lunges his Keyblade at the dark being, aiming for his chest, but he jumps to the right, spins around, and strikes Ducar's back with a powerful blow. Ducar was knocked forward by the fierce blow and he fell down on his stomach. Ducar rolled over on his back and saw Lord Thanatos towering over him. The dark being raises his Dark Keyblade and brings it down toward Ducar. Reacting quickly, Ducar rolls backward, dodging the Dark Keyblade. He then jumps toward Lord Thanatos and swings his Keyblade down at him, but he simply steps aside, causing Ducar to miss. Ducar spun around and swinged his Keyblade at Lord Thanatos, aiming for his head. Again, the Dark Keyblade Master dodges Ducar's Keyblade by simply leaning his whole body back. Ducar swung his Keyblade at Lord Thanatos with a downward slash, but he holds up his Dark Keyblade in defense, forcing the two warriors into a blade lock.

Lord Thanatos pulls his left-arm back, then thrusts it forward at Ducar, sending him back with a telekinetic blast. Ducar cleaves his Keyblade down on Lord Thanatos who blocks the attack with his Dark Keyblade, holding it horizontally over his head. He then kicks Ducar in the stomach with his left-leg, making him roll backwards. Ducar rises to his feet and charges at Lord Thanatos with his Keyblade, swinging it down on him. Lord Thanatos blocks against the blow again by holding his Dark Keyblade in a reverse grip. Ducar swings his Keyblade right and downward, but the dark being parries the blows. Ducar swings left and right two times, then spins around swinging his Keyblade, but Lord Thanatos defends himself with his Dark Keyblade, parrying the blows. Ducar swings his Keyblade up and down and spun around swinging his Keyblade. Again, the Dark Keyblade Master blocks against the blows. Lord Thanatos strikes back swinging his Dark Keyblade left and right at Ducar, but he manages to block each of his strikes. Lord Thanatos spun around and swinged his Dark Keyblade at Ducar, but he blocks against the blow, holding his Keyblade vertically, forcing the two into another blade lock. Ducar and Lord Thanatos both jump away from each other.

Lord Thanatos jumps toward Ducar and swings his Dark Keyblade with a downward slash, but Ducar blocks the attack by holding his Keyblade in a reverse grip. He then kicks Lord Thanatos back with his right-leg, kicking straight in the chest. With his guard down, Ducar rushes at Lord Thanatos and attacks with his Keyblade. He swings upward, downward, right, and left, landing multiple hits to Lord Thanatos' chest. Then, he spins around swinging his Keyblade at Lord Thanatos, hitting his stomach, then cleaves his Keyblade down on the dark being. Lord Thanatos was knocked back by the barrage of attacks and was sent sliding back across the ground. Ducar charges at Lord Thanatos, raising his Keyblade over his right-shoulder, and brings it down on the dark being, but he blocks against using only his right-arm to hold his Dark Keyblade in defense. Lord Thanatos kicks Ducar back with his left-foot, kicking him in the head, making backflip in the air.

Lord Thanatos charges toward Ducar with his Dark Keyblade raised over his right-shoulder while Ducar stood fast with his Keyblade held close to his side. As soon as his opponent was in reach, Lord Thanatos brought his Dark Keyblade down on him. Ducar held his Keyblade up in defense, holding it infront of his face. The two warriors were now caught in a blade lock. Lord Thanatos pushes down on Ducar with his powerful strength, but Ducar stood his ground. He then started to push Lord Thanatos back. Ducar eventually shoves the Dark Keyblade Master back and delivers a strong diagonal strike to his chest. Ducar follows up with six wide-sweeping slashes, four vertical slashes, four horizontal slashes, and a powerful jumping strike, sending Lord Thanatos sliding back across the ground.

Lord Thanatos rose up on his feet and looked toward Ducar with a sinister smile on his face, although it could not be seen underneath his mask. The Dark Keyblade Master began to glow with a black aura of darkness and dark blue electricity sparked all over his body. Red evil glyph markings appeared all over Lord Thanatos' body. And his eyes and heartstone glowed red.

In less than a second, Lord Thanatos teleports directly toward Ducar and assaults him with his Dark Keyblade, striking him with at least thirty rapid blows. Ducar was hit multiple times by the powerful blows. Ducar tries his best to defend himself against the barrage of attacks, but Lord Thanatos was too fast and too strong. His blows had become so fierce that it made it difficult for Ducar to maintain a good grip on his Keyblade. Lord Thanatos soon knocks Ducar's Keyblade out of his hands and sends his right-knee straight into Ducar's stomach with incredible force, making him falls to his knees. Ducar's mouth bursts open as he spits out a mouthful of blood. Lord Thanatos grabs Ducar by his throat and holds him high off the ground. He then throws Ducar toward a large rock with his powerful strength. Ducar slams hard into the large rock, nearly breaking his back in the process, and falls down on his stomach. The impact was so strong that the rock had almost broke into pieces.

Ducar was badly wounded and bruised by the onslaught he recieved. Bloody cuts and scrapes were all over his arms and legs and blood dripped from his mouth in small streams. His jacket, shirt, and pants had multiple slashed tears all over. Lord Thanatos walks over toward Ducar and stopped only a few inches away from him.

 **"YOU'RE SKILLS HAVE IMPROVED SINCE WE LAST MET, DUCAR, BUT YOU ARE STILL NO MATCH AGAINST MY POWER."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos raises his Dark Keyblade over his right-shoulder to deliver the final blow to Ducar. Before Lord Thanatos could strike, Draco bursts out from the waterfall and stands infront of Ducar, protecting him from the evil being. Draco lets out a loud roar, looks toward Einon, and lifts his scale, revealing a cut on his chest. Einon backs away and quickly mounts his horse, retreating back to his castle. Brok and the three horsemen follow close behind. Lord Thanatos grunts and mounts his demonic horse.

 **"YOU WERE LUCKY TO SURVIVE THIS DAY. BUT KNOW THAT ONCE OUR PATHS CROSS AGAIN, YOU WILL SURELY SUFFER."** Lord Thanatos says

Having said that, Lord Thanatos rides away on his horse.

"Who asked you to interfere? I had everything under control!" Bowen says

Ducar tries to stand, but falls back down on the ground on his right-side and cries out in pain.

"Argh! Nrgh!" Ducar yells

"Ducar!" Draco cries out

"Oh, my back!" Ducar groans in agonizing pain

Draco helps Ducar to his feet lowering his head down to him while Kara stood next to Bowen. The four heroes looked down the stream where Lord Thanatos and Einon took off.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Ducar, Bowen and Draco pull off another scheme on Kara's village and meet Kara herself. Soon after, they meet Einon and Lord Thanatos who challenges them to a duel. Bowen faces off against Einon while Ducar faces off against Lord Thanatos. But in the end, they both lose against the villains. Draco forces Einon and Lord Thanatos back, saving Bowen and Ducar. What will the heroes do now? Will they continue to blackmail villagers? Or will they take the fight to Einon and Lord Thanatos? Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	18. The Divine Omen

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _Elsewhere_ )

After their duel with Einon and Lord Thanatos, Bowen and Kara walked through the forests while Ducar stayed with Draco. Bowen held his left-hand on his wound.

"Here, let me see." Kara says

Kara checks Bowen's wound and saw that it was slowly starting to heal.

"It's knitted well." Kara says

"You have a healer's touch, Kara. In a few days, it will be just another scar." Bowen says

"And what's one more scar? To a knight, I mean. I once knew a knight. He stood alone against an evil king and even saved a rebel leader from blinding. He must have had many scars." Kara says

"That knight died of his wounds long ago." Bowen says

"That's too bad. His kind is badly missed in this world." Kara says

"That's the way the wretched world is, girl." Bowen says

"Doesn't have to be. Men like you and Ducar could-could lead others. You could give people courage and hope." Kara says

"Hope? Even if you could raise an army, do you think they'd stand a chance against seasoned troops? Last time they tried, it was a massacre. I remember. I was there." Bowen says

"So was I. That rebel was my father. Let others stand with you. You'll see this time, the end will be different." Kara says

Bowen looked toward Kara with his eyes and saw something.

"What are you looking at?" Kara asks

"Myself. Once upon a time." Bowen says

Draco and Ducar met up with Bowen and Kara and flew above them.

"I'll see you both in the village." Bowen says

"That's easy for you to say. This time, we'll collect the money and you can die." Draco says

Draco turns his head around to look at Ducar.

"How's your back doing, Ducar?" Draco says

"It's holding up. The healing spell I cast on myself has healed most of my wounds, including my back. I'll be fine. Thanks for asking." Ducar says

( _Later that day_ )

The next village Bowen visited was nearly destroyed thanks to Draco. The villagers there agreed to let Bowen kill Draco unaware of his blackmailing plan. They placed their gold in a leather bag and handed it to Bowen.

"We can lose no more pigs to the dragon." The lead villager says

"Wait! This man is a fraud!" A voice yells

The voice belonged to Kara who bursts into the village.

"It's her! This girl is... a wandering idiot. She babbles nonsense." Bowen says

"I'm telling you, this knight is no Dragonslayer." Kara says

"You're mistaken, my child!" Another voice says

This voice belonged to Brother Gilbert who arrives at the village.

"He's the greatest dragonslayer there ever is! Probably the greatest there ever will be!" Gilbert says

"Brother Gilbert!" Bowen exclaims happy to see him

"Bowen! You're alive. Praised be the saints. The saints be blessed. You're alive! And whole." Gilbert says

"Brother Gilbert." Bowen laughs

"You could not put your trust in a better man. I've personally seen him slay almost two dragons." Gilbert says

"Oh, Brother Gilbert." Bowen says

"Almost?" Kara asks in a questioning manner

"Well, I didn't actually see the death blow of the second, but as Bowen is here, he must have won." Gilbert says

"No. Don't you see? He's in league with the dragon." Kara says

Bowen started laughing and the villagers all burst into laughter as well.

( _Moments later_ )

Bowen set up the catapult and was ready for Draco.

"Hold that there." Bowen says to Brother Gilbert

Soon, Ducar and Draco came flying into view.

"And here he comes." Bowen says

As soon as Ducar and Draco were in range, Bowen swings his sword down on the rope and fires the catapult. Draco grabs the spear and pretendingly stabs himself with it

"Oh!" Draco says

Ducar and Draco fall out from the sky and crash into the stream. Unfortunately, the stream wasn't very deep. Draco falls straight on his head and he rolls forward onto his back. Ducar was thrown off of Draco's back and he fell into the stream.

"Sink! Sink!" Bowen says

"I can't! It doesn't get any deeper!" Draco says

"Well done, Bowen! You've done it again! What a brute! That's even bigger than the last one!" Gilbert says

"Actually, he's about the same size." Bowen says

The villagers look toward Draco and Ducar, then look at each other with hungry eyes.

"Meat! Meat! Meat!" The villagers chant

The villagers began running toward Ducar and Draco.

"Oh dear." Draco says

"Ok. This completely backfired." Ducar says

Ducar and Draco quickly got up to their feet and began to flee from the villagers.

"Run! They're getting away!" A villager says

Ducar jumps onto Draco's back, keeping high enough away from the cannibalistic villagers. Draco was having trouble taking off fighting the waters. Eventually, he manages to take off into the air and both he and Ducar escape the village. The villagers soon turn their attention toward Bowen, Gilbert, and Kara.

"Uh-oh." Bowen says

"What's going on?" Gilbert asks

"Run. That's what's going on." Kara says

The trio immediately flee as the villagers starting going after them. Bowen mounts his horse and rides over toward Kara.

"Kara!" Bowen cries out

Bowen grabs hold of Kara and lifts her onto his horse.

"Brother Gilbert!" Bowen cries out

Bowen grabs hold of Gilbert and lifts him onto his horse. The villagers soon had Bowen, Gilbert and Kara surrounded.

"No dragon, no charge." Bowen says tossing down the bag full of gold

The villagers began to close in on the trio. But before they could do anything, Draco swoops down and picks up Bowen, Gilbert, and Kara in his arms and takes off into the air.

( _Later that evening_ )

The sun was starting to set as Draco was flying in the air with Ducar on his back and Bowen, Gilbert and Kara in his arms.

"We're going to die! God help us! We're all going to die!" Gilbert says panicking

"Calm yourself, Brother Gilbert. We're not going to die. We're just flying." Bowen says

"If you're going to get yourselves killed, you might as well do it in the fight against Einon." Kara says

"I think Kara has a point. But I'd rather discuss it on the ground." Gilbert says

( _Later that night_ )

Draco continued flying until he reaches a fortress standing on a cliff.

"Draco, what unholy place is this?" Bowen asks

"Unholy? This is Avalon, the resting place of King Arthur himself." Draco says

The group set down in the graveyard and made camp. Brother Gilbert stood infront of King Arthur's tombstone inside a circle of stone columns saying a prayer. Draco stood on a large rock looking up at the stars.

"So it was foretold, and so have I found you, brave King Arthur." Gilbert says

"Valor, virtue, truth. Ah, yes. Truth." Draco says looking up toward the stars

"Amen." Gilbert says finishing his prayer

Brother Gilbert turns around and looks over at the trio.

"Ready now, Kara? Ducar?" Gilbert says

Kara and Ducar both nod in acknowledgement, saying they were both ready. Brother Gilbert turns to look at Bowen, expecting an answer from him.

"And you Bowen?" Gilbert says

Bowen doesn't respond.

"Bowen? This is Avalon, the shadow realm of the Round Table. It's a divine omen." Gilbert says

"Omens won't win battles. Nor will you. And you'll find out when you try to raise your army. You already know the courage in your village. They're very brave at pelting young girls with vegetables." Bowen says

"It must start from somewhere. Will you wish us luck, Draco?" Kara says

"Long ago, when man was young and the dragon already old, the wisest of our race took pity on man. He gathered together all the dragons, making them vow to watch over man always. And at the moment of his death, the night became alive with those stars. And thus was born the Dragon's Heaven. But when we die, not all dragons are admitted to this shining place. No, we have to earn it. And if we don't, our spirit disappears as if we never were. And that's why I shared my life force with a dying boy, so I would reunite man and dragon and ensure my place among my ancient brothers of the sky. But my sacrifice became a sin." Draco says pointing up at the constellation

"It was you. Your heart beats in Einon's breast." Bowen says

"Yes, my half-heart that... cost me all of my soul. Even then I knew his bloodthirsty nature, but I thought my heart could change him. My God, I was so naive." Draco says

"No more than I. All my life, I dreamed of serving noble kings, noble ideals. Dreams die hard and you hold them in your hands long after they've turned to dust. I will not be that naive again!" Bowen says

Draco nods understanding.

"Kara, I will go with you." Draco says

"I'll go too. With Lord Thanatos supporting Einon, you'll need my help." Ducar says

Soon, Bowen heads deeper into the graveyard.

"So be it. Farewell, Bowen." Draco says

Ducar heads out with Draco, Kara, and Gilbert following close behind while Bowen stayed behind

( _Later that night_ )

Bowen took shelter under an archway as the weather was rainy and stormy. Suddenly, Bowen began hearing ghostly voices around him.

 _"Valor._ _Valor._ _Valor. A knight is sworn to valor."_

Bowen headed out into the rain and walked through the graveyard hearing several indistinct voices. Suddenly, a bright light shined infront of him. When the light dims down, he saw a statue of King Arthur appear before him within the stone column. Bowen approaches the statue and kneels before it.

 _"A knight is sworn to valor."_

"A knight is sworn to valor!" Bowen repeats

 _"His heart knows only virtue."_

"His heart knows only virtue!" Bowen repeats

 _"His blade defends the helpless."_

"His blade defends the helpless!" Bowen repeats

 _"His might upholds the weak."_

"His might upholds the weak!" Bowen repeats

 _"His words speaks only truth."_

"His words speaks only truth!" Bowen repeats

 _"His wrath undoes the wicked."_

"His wrath undoes the wicked!" Bowen repeats

The statue of King Arthur soon fades away and the light dims down. Suddenly, out of the darkness of the night appears Draco and Ducar. Draco walks over to Bowen and drapes his left-wing over him, keeping the knight dry from the rain. Ducar walks over to Bowen and places his right-hand on his left-shoulder. Ducar nods his head at Bowen and he nods back. The three friends stayed with each other as they prepared themselves for tomorrow where they would take the fight to Einon and Lord Thanatos.

( _The Next Day_ )

Kara returns to her village with Brother Gilbert to try and convince the peasants to rebel again, but just like before, they would not listen.

"Now I know you are mad. You want us to follow you and a priest against Einon?" Hewe asks

"Yes." Kara says

"To hell more like." Hewe says

"But this time, we can win. You don't understand." Kara says

"I don't want to understand! I understand this! I understand six years in a quarry! That's all I need to understand!" Hewe says gesturing to his eye-patch

"Believe me, I know what you've been through, Hewe. But this time, we've been joined-" Kara says

"Only a fool would join you!" Hewe says interrupting Kara

"You're not listening to what I have to say!" Kara says

"I don't want to listen! I've had enough of your mischief!" Hewe says

Hewe grabs a wooden shovel and was about to hit Kara with it when an arrow hits the spade. In that moment, Bowen rides toward Kara, Hewe, and Gilbert on his horse.

"Save your strength for the fight against Einon." Bowen says

"There is no fight against Einon." Hewe says

"We're going to start one." Bowen says

"You and what army, Knight?" Hewe asks

Bowen rides up to a tall hill where Draco and Ducar fly overhead. Ducar leaps off from Draco's back, performing a somersault, and lands crouched down on the ground next to Bowen. He stood up straight and looked toward the peasants.

"This army." Ducar says

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Time to start a revolution. After their little duel with Einon and Lord Thanatos, Ducar, Bowen and Draco pull off another scheme on another village. But unfortunately for them, it backfires. So, Ducar, Bowen, Draco, Kara, and Brother Gilbert travel to Avalon, the resting place of King Arthur and the Round Table. Ducar, Draco, and Kara decide to go against Einon and Lord Thanatos and raise their army, but Bowen refuses and stays in Avalon. As he does, Bowen come across the tomb of King Arthur where he saw a statue of King Arthur himself who reminds him of The Old Code. Now, Ducar and Bowen lead the rebel villagers as they take the fight to Einon and Lord Thanatos. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	19. The Revolution

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

With Ducar and Bowen leading the fight against Einon and Lord Thanatos, the peasants began crafting their arrows, swords, and axes. Some were practicing sword combat. Some were practicing archery. And others were building camps and tents. Brother Gilbert was practicing archery with Bowen.

"You've never fired a bow in your life, in anger or practice?" Bowen asks

"No." Gilbert says

"Draw your bow." Bowen says

Gilbert holds his bow up.

"Sight along the arrow. Release." Bowen says

Gilbert aims his bow and shoots the arrow, hitting the dummy's head with a direct hit.

"Beginner's luck. Try again." Hewe says

Gilbert aims his bow and arrow and shoots again. This time, the arrow his the dummy in the groin.

"Brother Gilbert, you're a natural." Bowen says

Bowen soon turns his attention toward Kara who was hacking away at a log with brutal strikes.

"Easy! Here, widen your stance." Bowen says

Bowen takes hold of Kara's right-arm and guides her in swinging her axe.

"Up, down. Up, down. One fluid stroke." Bowen says

"This could cleave a man's skull." Kara says

Bowen takes the axe and throws it toward a squash. The axe cleaves right through the squash.

"Like a pudding." Bowen says

High up on the hill, Brok rides up on his horse and saw dozens of peasants training for battle. He also sees Draco in the camp. All the peasants were shouting. Swords were clanking in their training. Draco roars stopping the peasant's training. Brok's horse whinnies from the roar of the dragon. Brok heads back to Einon's Castle to warn of the incoming attack.

( _Moments later_ )

Having returned to Einon's Castle, Brok informed Einon and Lord Thanatos of the peasant's attack as they stood around a wooden table, devising a plan to meet them head on in the field of battle.

"I need more men!" Brok says

"It's just a few peasants waving pitch forks! I noticed they're on your land. You're not too busy hawking in your old age to keep control of your minions, are you?" Felton says

"Choose me?" Brok says grabbing Felton

Einon rushes over to Brok and Felton and seperates them.

"I was just saying that any one of us is worth a hundred of them." Felton says

"My brave Felton, an army unto himself." Einon says

Einon pins Felton to the table.

"Fool! I know this man who leads him, and I will not underestimate them! Him or the dragon!" Einon says

"Don't be afraid of the dragon, my son." Queen Aislinn says

"I'm afraid of nothing! Nothing! You understand?" Einon says

Queen Aislinn leads her son, Einon out into the courtyard where five men stood in attention.

"A mother's gift to her son. The finest to be had." Queen Aislinn says

"The finest what?" Einon asks

"Dragonslayers." Queen Aislinn says

Lord Thanatos saw the dragonslayers from atop a stone wall away from Einon and Queen Aislinn and walks away.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Back at the camp, the sun was starting to set. Bowen met up with Ducar and Draco up on the hill.

"Have you had any thought about tomorrow?" Draco asks

"It's hard to see that far." Bowen says

The trio turn their attention toward the camp of rebels.

"Look at the camp. What do you see? What do you hear?" Draco asks

"Hope." Bowen says

"Exactly. Down there, you have life, songs, and courage. You have everything you'll ever need. And now, so do I." Draco says

"As do I." Ducar says

( _The Next Day_ )

Einon, Lord Thanatos, and their forces stood at the castle ready for the attack. Einon had his soldiers ready while Lord Thanatos had his Unversed to assist in destroying the rebels. The Unversed consisted mostly of Floods, but there was also Scrappers, Buckle Bruisers, and another form of Unversed called Monotruckers which resembled a miner having pickaxes for hands and a wheelbarrow in place of its lower body. Bowen rides out of the patch of forest on his horse with Ducar who rode a brown horse alongside him. Soon, the rebels move out of the forest and join Bowen on the field.

"He dares defy me at my own gates. Both him and his foolish friend. Look at him! Well, his Code dies today once and for all!" Einon says

"No! We're safe here, Your Majesty! That rabble couldn't possibly storm the castle. By tonight, they'll be cold and wet and tired. They'll probably just limp off home. We're safe here, Einon! Remember your father!" A soldier says

Draco fly toward the castle and attack. Draco shoots two fireballs from his mouth onto the castle walls, knocking several men off the wall. The dragonslayers readied their catapults and fired hooks toward Draco.

"Gotcha!" Draco says grabbing one of the hooks

Draco pulls on the hook and drags the catapult toward one of the dragonslayers. The dragon slayer was knocked off the castle walls and falls to the ground. Einon, Lord Thanatos, and their army of soldiers and Unversed went out and met Bowen, Ducar, and the rebels in the field of battle.

"Let's shear them like the sheep they are!" Einon says

 **"LEAVE NONE OF THEM ALIVE."** Lord Thanatos says

With that said, Einon, Lord Thanatos, and their forces charged toward Bowen, Ducar, and the rebels.

"To the forest!" Bowen shouts

"Let's move!" Ducar shouts

Bowen, Ducar, and the rebels retreat into the forest with Einon and Lord Thanatos pursuing them. When they were deep enough in the forest, the heroic force stop and stood their ground.

"Form up!" Bowen shouts

"Stand fast!" Ducar shouts

The rebels stop and stood their ground behind Bowen and Ducar. Upon seeing this, Einon, Lord Thanatos, and their forces stopped.

"Halt! Halt!" Einon says

Then, a rebel holding a torch swings out of the trees and tosses the torch onto the dry grass, creating a wall of fire separating Bowen and the rebels from Einon and Lord Thanatos from their troops.

"Second line!" Bowen shouts

Hewe and several more peasants arrive.

"Right flank advance!" Bowen shouts

The flames surround Einon, Lord Thanatos, and their forces cutting off their escape.

"Your evil tyranny ends here, Lord Thanatos." Ducar says

Ducar stretches his right-hand out and summons his Keyblade: Vanguard of Honor in a flash of light.

"Charge!" Bowen shouts

With a loud battle cry, Bowen, Ducar, and the rebels charge into battle. Brother Gilbert was up in the trees with two other archers offering covering fire. Gilbert saw a group of peasants being chased by three of Einon's men. He takes aim and shoots a trap causing a log to fall on the three horsemen.

"Pride goeth before the fall." Gilbert says

As the battle raged around him, Bowen saw Einon jump over the wall of flames on his horse and watched as he slew a peasant with a swipe of his sword. He looked off in another direction and saw Kara fighting off a soldier. Bowen had to make a choice. Go after Einon or stay and help fight the soldiers.

One soldier charged straight at Kara and swinged his sword at her, but she quickly moved around a tree, making him miss and hit the tree bark. Kara swinged her axe at the soldier, but he held up his leather shield in defense. The soldier takes another swing at Kara, but she moves around the tree again, making him hit the bark of the tree.

Bowen rode toward Kara on his horse, striking one soldier in the back of the head with his sword, and stabbing another in the back. The knight quickly dismounted his horse and ran toward Kara as the soldier she was facing swinged his sword at her. A soldier tried to attack Bowen with a swing of his sword, but the knight blocks it, elbows the soldier in the face, and takes his sword.

Kara moved away from the soldier as he swung his sword at her. She tried to bring her axe down on the soldier, but he held up his shield in defense. The soldier takes another swing at Kara, but she dodges the sword and drives her axe into the man's back, killing him instantly.

Bowen and Kara stand back to back and look at each other.

"Like a pudding." Kara says

Bowen fought off two soldiers with his two swords while Kara fought off two soldiers with two axes in her hands.

The two soldiers tried to attack Bowen both at the same time, swinging their swords down on the knight, but he blocks them both with his two swords and shoves them back. Bowen spins around swinging his swords, striking one of the soldiers by slashing him in the back, then slashes the other in his stomach, killing them both.

The two soldiers Kara was facing tried to attack her with their swords, but she parries their blows with her two axes. After knocking the two soldiers back, Kara spins around swinging her axes. She strikes one of the soldiers in the back, then strikes the other in the chest, killing them both.

After killing their opponents, Bowen and Kara saw a small group of Unversed, consisting of Flood, Scrappers, and Monotruckers stalking toward them. Ducar saw this and rode toward Bowen and Kara on his horse, rushing to their aid.

As soon as he reached them, Ducar jumps off his horse and brought his Keyblade down on a Flood. He then swings his Keyblade right at another Flood, then swinged left at another one. Three Scrappers leapt at Ducar with it's claws ready, but he slices the first Unversed in half with an rising uppercut, slices through the second with a downward slash, then, slices through the other one with a roundhouse slash. A Monotrucker charges toward Ducar in an attempt to ram him, but he slices through the Unversed, zipping past it with a fast, devastating strike, sending it into oblivion.

After dealing with the Unversed, Ducar looks back at Bowen and Kara, nodding his head at them. The knight and the girl nod back and they stand alongside the Keyblade Wielder as another group of Unversed approached them.

In the trees, Brother Gilbert saw a peasant being chased by a Flood Unversed. The peasant had no weapon and he fled trying to escape the pursuing dark creature, screaming for help.

"Help! Help!" The peasant screams

Brother Gilbert aims his bow at the Unversed and fires his arrow, landing a direct hit to the Unversed, taking it out with one shot.

Lord Thanatos watched as Ducar fought off against the Unversed with Bowen and Kara standing alongside him. The Dark Keyblade Master made his approach toward his arch enemy, planning to destroy him once and for all.

One peasant tried to attack the evil being with his axe, but Lord Thanatos swings his Dark Keyblade down on the foolish human, slicing the peasant's neck open and killing him. Another peasant tried to attack Lord Thanatos, but he stabs his Dark Keyblade through the man's chest, leaving a hole in his body. A third peasant tried to attack Lord Thanatos, but the evil being knocks the axe out of the man's grip with a swing of his Dark Keyblade and stretches his left-hand toward the foolish mortal. The now defenseless peasant was lifted up into the air, hovering infront of Lord Thanatos. A dark blue light shined in the palm of Lord Thanatos' hand as he started draining the life out of the unfortunate peasant who was now glowing with a dark blue aura of darkness. The peasant screamed in sheer terror and flailed as the life was sucked out of him. Each layer of the man's body dissolved until nothing was left of the peasant except for his skeleton. Having drained the life out of the peasant, Lord Thanatos lowers his hand, dropping the skeleton to the ground, and continues stalking toward Ducar.

Kara saw Lord Thanatos heading straight for Ducar on his demonic horse. Ducar was busy dealing with a group of Unversed to notice the Dark Keyblade Master approaching him. Mustering up her courage, Shara stood in Lord Thanatos' path, making his demonic horse stop in it's tracks.

 **"YOU DARE OPPOSE ME, CHILD? BRAVE, BUT FOOLISH."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos swings his Dark Keyblade down at Kara, but she leans her body to the left, dodging the blow. She then strikes the demonic horse with both her axes, landing a hit to it's neck. The demonic horse let out a roar after being hit by Kara's attack. Kara swung her axes at the horse again, striking it's neck. This time, the blow was so strong that it cut off the horse's head. The horse fell over on it's right-side, making Lord Thanatos fall off. The Dark Keyblade Master rose to his feet and stared at Kara with a very angry look on his face.

 **"HOW DARE YOU, WRETCHED GIRL! I WILL MAKE YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT WITH YOUR LIFE!"** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos swings his Dark Keyblade at Kara with a right-slash. Kara used her axes to defend herself, but the blow was so strong that it made her stumble backwards and fall down onto the ground. Lord Thanatos walked toward Kara with his Dark Keyblade in his right-hand while Kara backed away from him. When he reached her, Lord Thanatos bent down, grabbed Kara by her throat, and held her high off the ground. After finishing off his group of Unversed, Ducar looked and saw Lord Thanatos holding Kara in his sinister grip.

 **"NOW YOU WILL DIE ALONG WITH THE REST OF THESE PATHETIC MORTALS."** Lord Thanatos says

Ducar quickly rushes toward Kara's aid, running straight toward Lord Thanatos. The Dark Keyblade Master looked over to his right and saw Ducar heading straight toward him. Lord Thanatos tossed Kara to the ground and held his Dark Keyblade infront of him, blocking Ducar's Keyblade as he brought it down on him.

 **"YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN SAVE THESE MORTALS FROM THEIR ENSLAVEMENT AND DELIVER THEIR FREEDOM, BUT ALL YOU HAVE DONE IS LEAD THEM TO THEIR DEATHS. EVEN WITH THE DRAGON, YOU CANNOT HOPE TO STOP THE DARKNESS THAT SHALL SOON OVERWHELM THIS WORLD."** Lord Thanatos says

"No, Lord Thanatos. These people fight because they have hope for a brighter future. A future without slavery. A future free from the tyranny of evil. I intend to give them that future. And I will ensure that your evil is vanquished." Ducar says

 **"THEN, YOU SHALL SUFFER THE SAME FATE AS THESE INSIGNIFICANT MORTALS."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos swings his Dark Keyblade at Ducar with a downward slash, but he holds up his Keyblade over his head, blocking against the blow. Lord Thanatos follows up with some quick slashes, swinging his Dark Keyblade left and right five times at Ducar. Using his Keyblade to defend himself, Ducar parries each of Lord Thanatos' blows and counters with some slashes of his own. Ducar swings his Keyblade with an rising uppercut, then a downward slash, but Lord Thanatos parries against the blows with his Dark Keyblade. Ducar follows up with four strong slashes, swinging his Keyblade left and right, but Lord Thanatos parries the blows as well.

Ducar raises his Keyblade over his left-shoulder and takes a swing at Lord Thanatos with a diagonal slash, but he parries the blow, holding his Dark Keyblade opposite of Ducar. He then swings his Keyblade left and right, but Lord Thanatos blocks the attack as well. Ducar tries to attack Lord Thanatos with a high jump kick to his head, but he ducks down and dodges the attack. Ducar spins around and tries to swing his Keyblade with a reverse roundhouse slash, but Lord Thanatos defends himself against the blow by holding his Dark Keyblade in a reverse grip and counters with a strong kick to Ducar's chest, knocking him back.

Lord Thanatos lunges his Dark Keyblade at Ducar, but he knocks it away with a swing of his Keyblade. Then, he attacks with a downward slash, but Lord Thanatos held his Dark Keyblade infront of him in a reverse grip. Ducar performs a backflip into the air, kicking Lord Thanatos' Dark Keyblade up and away, then brings his Keyblade down on the dark being with a downward slash. The blow strikes Lord Thanatos directly in the chest, making him slide back across the ground. Lord Thanatos looks at Ducar with an angry look on his face, growling in anger. He soon charges at Ducar with an angry yell.

 **"RRRRRAAAAAH!"** Lord Thanatos yells

Lord Thanatos raises his Dark Keyblade over his right-shoulder to strike while Ducar charges at him, raising his Keyblade over his right- shoulder. The two Keyblade Wielders soon clash with powerful force, creating a loud clang in the air as they were both caught in a blade lock.

Einon looked around and saw his men getting overwhelmed by the rebel peasants. He saw one of his men dead on his horse pierced by multiple arrows. He looked off in another direction and saw another soldier get dragged off his horse by two peasants and was beaten to death. Even the Unversed were getting beaten by the peasants thanks to Ducar's training. Two Flood Unversed were clubbed to death by two peasants who constantly bashed them with their clubs. A Buckle Bruiser was swarmed by a group of peasants who piled up on the Unversed and beat it to death. Seeing that they were quickly losing this fight, Einon was left with one tactic.

"Retreat! Retreat! Retreat! Return to the castle! Retreat!" Einon shouts

Einon began making his way through the crowd of peasants and his men. Bowen notices Einon fleeing.

"Brother Gilbert! It's Einon! Stop him!" Bowen says

Gilbert saw Einon fleeing, riding through the forest on his horse. He notches an arrow onto his bow and takes aim.

"Thou... Shalt... Not... Kill!" Gilbert says

Brother Gilbert takes the shot and the arrow hits Einon directly in the chest. Just as Einon was hit by the arrow, Draco falls out from the sky, groaning in pain and falls down into Einon's Castle. Bowen, Kara, and Brother Gilbert all saw Draco fall from the sky and were shocked by what they saw. Ducar who was caught in a blade lock with Lord Thanatos stopped and saw what had happened to Draco. A shocked expression came upon Ducar's face while Lord Thanatos had a sinister smile on his face. Einon removes the arrow from his chest and realized what had happened. His strength came from Draco, but so did his life. His survival depended on the dragon. If Draco were to die, he would die as well. Upon realizing that truth, Einon remembered the dragonslayers.

"The dragonslayers." Einon says

With his mind now set on Draco and stopping the dragonslayers from killing him, Einon rushes back to his castle. Lord Thanatos leans closer to Ducar and looks straight into his eyes.

 **"IT WOULD APPEAR LUCK HAS TURNED TO OUR FAVOR."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos kicks right-foot straight into Ducar's stomach, making him lurch forward.

"Oh!" Ducar yells

Then, Lord Thanatos swings his Dark Keyblade with an uppercut, making Ducar flip backwards. Ducar fell flat on his stomach and groaned in pain.

"Ah... Ugh... Ngh..." Ducar groans

Lord Thanatos stretches his left-hand behind him and opens up a corridor of darkness.

 **"YOUR DRAGON'S FATE HAS BEEN SEALED. TRY AND SAVE HIM, IF YOU CAN."** Lord Thanatos says

Having said that, the Dark Keyblade Master backs away into the dark corridor and disappears into the darkness. Ducar rose onto his feet, holding his stomach with his right-hand still holding his Keyblade and watched as the dark corridor vanished.

At the castle, Draco was chained to the ground with the dragonslayers pointing their weapons at him. Einon arrives at the castle grounds and reaches the dragonslayers.

"Stop! I want it alive! Alive and safe. Safe for all eternity." Einon says

A dark corridor appears in the castle grounds and out steps Lord Thanatos who walks up to Draco and stands alongside Einon.

 **"THE DRAGON SHALL BE OF GREAT USE TO US. THE KEYBLADE WIELDER AND HIS FRIENDS WILL HAVE NOT CHOICE BUT TO COME HERE AND SAVE THEIR PRECIOUS DRAGON. THEN, THE TRAP SHALL BE SPRUNG. THE KNIGHT WILL DIE, AND THE KEYBLADE WIELDER WILL FINALLY SUCCUMB TO THE DARKNESS WITHIN HIM."** Lord Thanatos says

"Oh no." Draco says

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Epic Chapter! Ducar and Bowen lead their rebellion of peasants against Einon and Lord Thanatos and both sides clash in an epic battle for freedom. Just when they thought they had Einon and Lord Thanatos on the run, Draco was captured by dragonslayers. What will happen to him and how will Ducar and Bowen save him? Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	20. To the stars

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

Ducar, Bowen, Kara, and Gilbert regrouped in the forest with the rebels.

"I go to save the dragon! Who will go with me?" Bowen says

No one responds as all the rebels remain silent. Bowen sheathes his sword and looks at Ducar who nods at him. The two men make their way through the crowd of rebels and began heading toward Einon's Castle with Kara and Brother Gilbert following close behind.

( _Later that night_ )

One of the dragonslayers was keeping watch over Draco until Queen Aislinn approaches the dragonslayer and stabs him with a dagger.

"Come from the shadows, Aislinn. Come where I can see you." Draco says

Queen Aislinn steps out from the shadows and walks toward Draco. She kneels before the dragon and bows her head.

"You know why I've come." Queen Aislinn says

"I know. In giving my heart, I've taken on every poison stirring in his evil breast. Even the pain of his death must be mine." Draco says

"You cannot blame yourself. Death without immortality?" Queen Aislinn says

"That was not the only reason. I had to wait for a time when mankind would not repeat my mistake and let tyranny thrive. When there would be those who remembered the Once-ways, remembered that even in the darkness, there is still light." Draco says

Draco tries to lift his head to look up into the night sky but could not since he was chained to the ground.

"I cannot see. Are the stars shining tonight?" Draco asks

"Brightly, my lord. Brightly." Queen Aislinn says

"Then let us end it." Draco says

Queen Aislinn picks up a spear that the dragonslayer dropped.

"Forgive me." Queen Aislinn says

Before she could strike, an unseen force gripped Queen Aislinn by her throat and held her high off the ground. Lord Thanatos steps out from the shadows with his left-hand stretched out toward Queen Aislinn. Einon approaches from behind Lord Thanatos and took the spear from her mother.

"I know why you brought me the dragonslayers. You wanted them to kill him because you wanted me dead." Einon says

"I wanted to correct the mistake I made years ago when I saved a creature not worth saving." Queen Aislinn says

"How un-motherly of you." Einon says

 **"AND NOW, QUEEN AISLINN, YOU CAN SHARE THE SAME FATE AS YOUR HUSBAND AND DWELL FOREVER IN DARKNESS."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos summons his Dark Keyblade: The Harbinger of Shadows in his right-hand in a flash of darkness and heads into the darkness of the castle with Queen Aislinn in his grasp. Einon looks at Draco who was trying to break free of the chains for a few seconds, then follows the Dark Keyblade Master into the castle. As soon as Lord Thanatos and Einon disappeared into the darkness, Queen Aislinn screams as her heart was stripped away and brought to her death. Draco roars after hearing Aislinn's scream.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Ducar, Bowen, Gilbert, and Kara were heading through the underground water system of Einon's castle when they heard footsteps behind them. Hewe and a group of peasants appear from one of the passageways and stood infront of the heroes.

"We have to open the gates. The rest of us are waiting outside. Go save your dragon, Bowen." Hewe says

Hewe and the peasants head into another passageway while Ducar, Bowen, Gilbert, and Kara continue through their passageway.

"Hurry. All of you." Hewe says

"It's this way." Kara says

Ducar, Bowen, and Brother Gilbert followed Kara to the secret staircase that Queen Aislinn showed Kara back when she was captured. The four head up the staircase and they come across Einon who sat on the bed inside the room.

"Well, well, well, what a pleasant surprise. I expected you to be here, Bowen, but with my bride-to-be as well? And with a priest to wed us." Einon says

"To bury you." Bowen says

"Well to bury one of us." Einon says

Einon bursts from his bed and swings his sword at Bowen, but the knight quickly drew his sword and blocked against the blow. As the two fought, the guards began making their way to the room.

"Kara, the door, quickly!" Gilbert says

Ducar, Kara, and Brother Gilbert rush toward the door and push against it, keeping the guards out. Bowen manages to catch Einon off guard and kicks him back, making him fall to the ground. Bowen cleaves his sword down on Einon who blocks the attack. Einon kicks Bowen back and jumps back up to his feet. Now, Bowen was on the ground. Einon cleaves his sword down on Bowen, but he hold up his sword in defense, forcing the two into a blade lock. Bowen and Einon push against each other's strength. The door underneath Bowen began to slowly close. As it did, Bowen kicks Einon causing him to flip over him and roll down the staircase. Bowen rolls backward and heads down after him.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Felton was heading through the passageways underneath the castle. Suddenly, he notices the shadow of someone approaching up ahead. He hides in a doorway and peers around the corner. Soon enough, he sees Kara heading down a set of stairs heading straight toward him. Felton uses this as an opportunity and hides. As soon as Kara got close, Felton bursts out from his hiding spot and grabs Kara by her hair and holds a dagger to her throat.

"Now, I don't know how you all got in here, but I tell you this: you are going to get me out." Felton says

Suddenly, someone stabs Felton's back with a dagger. Felton groans in pain and lets go of Kara. Felton stumbles to a nearby stone wall and falls on the ground dead. The person who stabbed Felton was Hewe.

"Hewe, thank you." Kara says

Kara continues through the passageway and made it out of the caverns. She was about to push on into the castle, but Brok knocks her back stepping out of the darkness. Kara swings her axe at Brok, but he blocks the attack and counters with a swing his sword. Kara moves to the right, evading Brok's sword. Brok swings his sword at Kara again. Kara dodges Brok's sword again, but loses her grip on her axe in the process. Kara notices a large dragonslayer axe nearby and grabs it.

"Let me cut it down to size for you." Brok says

Brok swings his sword down on Kara who holds the axe up horizontally in defense. The sword breaks the handle of the axe, cleaving it in two. Kara takes the axe and drives it deep into Brok's stomach. Brok grunts in pain and falls to the ground dead.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Bowen and Einon continued their fight up on one of the castle towers. Bowen heads up to the rooftop and swings his sword at Einon who steps back and brings his right-foot down on Bowen's sword, holding it in place. Bowen pulls back on his sword, causing Einon to lose his balance. Bowen swings his sword at Einon who jumps back avoiding the blade. Bowen's sword gets caught on one of the wooden structures. As the knight tried to free his sword, Einon brings his sword down, breaking the blade. He then kicks Bowen back and pins him near the edge of the tower. Down below in the castle grounds was Draco.

"Bowen!" Draco cries out

Bowen kicks Einon back and jumps back onto his feet. In that moment, Kara arrives with the dragonslayer's axe.

"Bowen!" Kara calls

Kara tosses Bowen the dragonslayer axe. Bowen catches the axe and swings it at Einon, but he moves back dodging the axe. Bowen swings the axe at Einon, but he moves out of the way, The axe gets caught in the wooden structure. Bowen tries to free the axe, but to no avail. Einon moves in with his sword and takes a swing at Bowen. The knight pushes against the wooden structure which folds outward, causing Einon to miss and fall off the tower. He falls through a wooden platform down below and falls into the underground water system, falling into the water. Bowen's axe began to free itself from the wooden structure. Bowen grabs hold of a nearby rope and lowers down to the castle grounds. As soon as Bowen touches down on the ground, Lord Thanatos walked toward Draco and looked down at him.

 **"I KNOW THAT YOU WISH TO ATONE FOR THE SINS THAT EINON HAS COMMITTED ON THIS WORLD. AND SO, I SHALL GRANT YOU YOUR WISH, DRAGON. BUT YOU WILL NOT JOIN YOUR KIN IN THE HEAVENS ABOVE. WHEN I RELEASE YOU FROM YOUR TORMENT, I SHALL ABSORB YOUR LIFE FORCE AND YOUR HEART. BOTH YOUR HEART AND YOUR POWER WILL BE MINE AND YOU SHALL FOREVER DWELL IN THE DARKNESS FOR ALL TIME."** Lord Thanatos says

Bowen moves in and tries to stop Lord Thanatos, but he throws Bowen back with telekinetic force emanating from his left-hand, causing him to roll across the ground and slam into a nearby stone wall. Lord Thanatos takes his Dark Keyblade in both his hands and turns it over so that the blade was pointing down at Draco. Draco looked on with widened eyes and gasped in shock. Lord Thanatos raises his Dark Keyblade into the air ready to deal the final blow to Draco. Within moments, he brings his Dark Keyblade down toward Draco. Before it could hit, Ducar jumps in and stands between Lord Thanatos and Draco, holding his Keyblade over his head to block the Dark Keyblade. Kara heads down into the castle grounds and was just in time to see Ducar and Lord Thanatos fight each other. Even Brother Gilber arrives to see the fight.

"You will not harm Draco! Nor will you have his heart!" Ducar says

Ducar shoves Lord Thanatos back and stands infront of Draco protecting him from Lord Thanatos. Ducar got into battle stance holding his Keyblade: Vanguard of Honor close to his right-side with both his hands.

 **"SACRIFICING YOURSELF TO SAVE THE DRAGON. HOW VERY BOLD. COMPASSION WAS ALWAYS YOU'RE WEAKNESS. SO BE IT. I SHALL TAKE YOU INSTEAD!"** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos strikes first thrusting his left-hand forward, hurling arcing bolts of dark blue lightning from his fingertips. Ducar holds his Keyblade infront of his face and shields himself from the electric storm. The dark lightning bolts hits Ducar's Keyblade sending dark lightning bolts in all directions. The two Keyblade Wielders stood their ground as the dark lightning bolts was shot in all directions. Luckily, none of them hits Bowen, Draco, Gilbert or Kara. The two Keyblade Wielders both stared each other down, not one blinking an eye. Ducar broke the clash by swinging his Keyblade to the right, sending the dark lightning bolts away and leaps toward Lord Thanatos with his Keyblade raised over his right-shoulder. Lord Thanatos holds his Dark Keyblade up over his head and blocks against Ducar's Keyblade as it smashed down on him with a loud clang. Afterwards, Lord Thanatos sends Ducar back by thrusting his left-hand forward, throwing him back with his telekinetic powers.

Lord Thanatos Lord Thanatos swings his Dark Keyblade with a right slash, launching a dark blue crescent blade of darkness at Ducar, but he cuts through the crescent blade with a downward slash from his Keyblade, cleaving it in two. Next, Lord Thanatos grips his left-hand, making a dark light flash briefly in his hand, and thrusts his hand forward, launching multiple blasts of darkness from his palm. Ducar defends himself from the dark blasts, batting the dark blasts away with a swing of his Keyblade. Then, Lord Thanatos jumps high into the air and swings his Dark Keyblade with a right slash, sending dark lightning bolts down toward Ducar. Ducar leaps over to the right and rolls across the ground just as the dark blue lightning bolts strike the ground. Lord Thanatos lands crouched down on the ground and both he and Ducar rise back up on their feet.

Ducar rushes forward at Lord Thanatos, swinging his Keyblade upward and downward, but the Dark Keyblade Master leans his body away to the sides, making Ducar miss. Ducar spins around, swinging his Keyblade, but Lord Thanatos parries the blow. Ducar swings his Keyblade left and right, then spins around, swinging his Keyblade with a roundhouse slash at Lord Thanatos, but the dark being defends himself from Ducar's strikes with his Dark Keyblade. Ducar lunges his Keyblade at Lord Thanatos who moves his body to the left, dodging the attack. Lord Thanatos swings his Dark Keyblade down on Ducar's Keyblade, kicks Ducar in the chest with his left-foot, then throws his Dark Keyblade toward him with a horizontal toss. Ducar rolls backward and soon stops himself. He quickly notices Lord Thanatos' Keyblade heading toward him and immediately ducks down. The Dark Keyblade misses and returns to Lord Thanatos' hand in a flash of darkness.

The two Keyblade Wielders charge at each other and clash with powerful force, kicking up a cloud of dust. Bowen, Kara, Brother Gilbert, and Draco shield themselves from the dust cloud. When the cloud lifts away, Ducar and Lord Thanatos were both caught in a blade lock. Lord Thanatos pushes down on Ducar with great strength, making him drop slowly to his knees. Ducar looks over at Bowen and Kara on his left, then looks over at Draco on his right. Ducar looks up at Lord Thanatos with a serious look on his face, grinding his teeth as he slowly pushed his way up. Ducar soon got the upperhand and he shoves Lord Thanatos back.

Ducar motions his Keyblade back and swings his Keyblade with an upward and downward slash, then swings left and right eight times, landing multiple hits to his chest. Ducar follows up with more strikes, swinging his Keyblade twenty times in quick succession. He whirls forward delivering a spinning strike, then whirls backward delivering another spinning strike. He then knocks Lord Thanatos higher into the air with a strong uppercut from his Keyblade. Ducar leaps up at Lord Thanatos and strikes him ten times with some quick slashes. Finally, Ducar raises his Keyblade over his right-shoulder and brings it down on Lord Thanatos, hitting him with powerful force, finishing the epic battle.

Lord Thanatos crashes into the ground on his back and Ducar lands on the ground infront of Draco. Lord Thanatos rose up and stood on one knee. He looks toward Ducar with his demonic red eyes and a sinister smile. Lord Thanatos' body began to radiate a dark blue aura and he soon fades away into the darkness. Ducar fell on all fours and was panting heavily for air. Ducar looks up toward Bowen, Draco, Gilbert, and Kara and nods indicating he was alright. With the fight between Ducar and Lord Thanatos over, Bowen rushes over to Draco and began freeing him from the chains that held him down.

"Now it's you, Bowen. Now it's you who has to do it." Draco says

"What are you talking about?" Bowen asks

"As the heart binds Einon to me in life, it binds us in death." Draco says

"That's not true!" Bowen says

"You've seen that it is! Through the heart, we share each other's pain and power. But in my half beats the life source. For Einon to die, I must die!" Draco says

"Einon is dead." Bowen says

"He lives!" Draco says

"It doesn't matter. Don't you hear it? Our rebels have stormed the castle. Alive or dead, Einon's beaten. We've won!" Bowen says

"You will never win until Einon's evil is destroyed and to do that, you must destroy me!" Draco says

"No." Bowen says

"Once you swore your sword and service were mine, to call when I had need of you, to ask what I would of you. I hold you to your vow, Knight!" Draco says

Draco turns his attention toward where Einon fell.

"He's coming. Coming to stop you. Strike before it's too late!" Draco says

Kara looks down where Einon fell and shakes her head no, saying he was not there.

"You are the last." Bowen says

"My time is over. Strike!" Draco says

"You are my friend." Bowen says

"Then, as my friend, strike, please!" Draco says

"I can't." Bowen says

"Then I will make you." Draco says

Draco swipes his right-claw at Bowen, but the knight rolls to the side, dodging Draco's claw.

"Fight back, dragonslayer! Defend yourself!" Draco says

Draco breathes flames from his nostrils toward Bowen, but the knight simply stood still as the flames shoot past him. Bowen tosses the axe down to the ground.

"Pick it up!" Draco yells

Suddenly, Einon grabs Kara and holds his sword to her throat.

"Move, and she dies!" Einon says

Draco cuts his right-paw with his claw, causing Einon to cry out in pain and loses his grip on Kara and his sword. Einon draws a dagger and sprints toward Bowen trying to stop him. Bowen grabs the axe and looks toward Draco who lifts up his scale, revealing his chest. Just before Einon reaches him, Bowen throws the axe toward Draco, hitting the dragon directly in his chest, right where his heart was. Einon stumbles and loses his balance. Bowen grabs Einon and flips him over, causing him to fall on his back. Einon's heartbeat began to slowly die down. Within moments, Einon was dead. Draco looks toward Ducar and Bowen and smiles.

"Draco..." Ducar says

Draco looks toward Ducar with a smile and soon dies sighing his last breath. The peasants burst through the castle gates and stops looking at Ducar, Bowen, and Draco's dead body. Bowen walks to Draco's body and falls to his knees. Ducar walks up to Draco's body and stands next to Bowen.

"What now, Draco? Without you, what do we do? Where do we turn?" Bowen asks

Draco's body fades away and becomes a cloud of golden wisps. All the peasants murmur in amazement. Then, Ducar and Bowen both heard Draco's voice speaking to them.

 _"To the stars, Bowen. To the stars."_ Draco says

The cloud of golden wisps began to fly up into the starry night up to where the constellation: Draco was. The stars that formed the constellation gathered and came together forming a bright, single star. Soon, the star explodes creating countless stars in the night sky. The stars glimmered in Ducar and Bowen's eyes. The countless stars soon came back together, forming the constellation. Sixteen stars formed the constellation: Draco. One of the stars glowed with a golden light. It turns out the sixteenth star was Draco.

Having completed his task in the world of Camelot, Ducar continued his journey and said farewell to Bowen, Kara, Gilbert, Hewe, and the peasants taking off on his Keyblade Glider in his Keyblade Armor. As he traveled into the Lanes Between, Ducar took out his red Wayfinder and looked down at it. He then looked up at the stars and saw the constellation: Draco.

"Farewell, Draco. I was proud to call you my friend. As you join your brethren in the stars above, know that I will always remember you in my heart. I will tell my wife and child all about you. But now, I must continue my journey. I will conquer the darkness in my heart. I will become a Keyblade Master and I will not fail." Ducar says

With that said, Ducar continued his journey and soared into the Lanes Between.

 _"And in the days following Draco's sacrifice, Bowen and Kara led the people in a time of justice and brotherhood. As I remember it now, those were golden years, warmed by an unworldly light. And when things became the most difficult, Draco's star shone more brightly for all of us who knew where to look."_ Gilbert says

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Epic Chapter! Bowen vs Einon. And Ducar vs Lord Thanatos. Epic battle ensures. But in the end, Bowen and Ducar prevail victorious! Bowen sacrifices Draco to ensure Einon's evil is destroyed and both Einon and Draco die. A sad moment for Ducar and Bowen. Draco joins his kind in the heavens above and Ducar continues his journey leaving the world of Camelot. As he continued his journey, Ducar would  
always remember Draco in his heart and would cherish the time he had with him throughout his life. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	21. The Enchanted Dominion

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _Enchanted Dominion_ )

Terra arrives in the meadow by a lake walking out from a portal of light in his Keyblade Armor. As he steps out from the portal, his Keyblade Armor disappears in a flash of light. Suddenly, Terra was ambushed by a swarm of Flood Unversed which emerged from the ground around him.

"Monsters! The ones the master mentioned. These are the Unversed." Terra says

Another portal of light opens up in the same area high up on a nearby cliff. From this portal exits Ducar in his Keyblade Armor. As he steps out, his Keyblade Armor disappears in a flash of light. Ducar stood up on the edge of the cliff and looked down at the lake below him. Looking down, he immediately saw Terra fighting against the Unversed.

"Terra!" Ducar calls out

Terra looked up toward the cliff where Ducar stood and watched as he jumped off to his aid. Ducar threw his Keyblade down at the Unversed that surrounded Terra and the Keyblade flew around guided by the wind. The Keyblade sliced through each of the Flood in a single swoop before it returned to Ducar's hand in flash of light. Ducar landed down on the ground next to Terra.

"You alright?" Ducar asks

"Yeah. Nice of you to show." Terra says

"Wouldn't miss it." Ducar says

More Flood Unversed emerged from the shadows and the two men stood alongside each other with their Keyblade ready.

Terra slices through one Flood with an uppercut from his Keyblade while Ducar slices through another Flood with a downward slash. One Flood leaps at Terra with it's claws, but he strikes it down with a spinning slash. Another Flood leaps at Ducar for an attack, but he whirls forward with his Keyblade, performing a cartwheel. Terra swings his Keyblade at three Flood Unversed, taking each of them out with an intense slash. Ducar leaps up into the air with a somersault and slams his Keyblade down on the ground, creating a small explosion which disintegrates the four Flood Unversed.

As the two men finished off the remaining Unversed, they both turned around and saw two Flood fleeing into the forest.

"No you don't." Terra says

The two Keyblade Wielders chase the two Unversed to the bridge outside King Stefan's castle. Terra and Ducar both jump into the air and brought their Keyblades down on the two Unversed, casting them into oblivion. After dealing with the Unversed, Terra and Ducar saw the witch, Maleficent standing on the bridge ahead of them, looking out toward the castle. Maleficent sensed their presence and turned around to face the two men.

"What's this? Why aren't you both asleep? That fool, Flora cast a spell to put everyone in this castle into a deep, deep slumber." Maleficent says

"Who are you?" Terra asks

"Why, I am Maleficent. As all who dwell in this kingdom would know. Now you must reciprocate the introduction. Who are you?"

"I'm Terra."

"And I'm Ducar."

"What do you know about those monsters? The ones who attacked us?" Terra says

"Hmph. Now why would I give a thought to creatures so base, so inconsequential?" Maleficent says

"They are base. That's for sure. Anyway, we're looking for someone. Ever heard of a man named Xehanort?" Terra says

"Or someone named Lord Thanatos?" Ducar asks

Terra looked at Ducar confused as to who he was referring to while Maleficent remained silent for a moment before she spoke.

"Those names are not familiar to me. Are they outsiders, like yourselves? Oh, but wait... I do remember someone leaving the castle." Maleficent says

"Tell us. What were they doing there?" Ducar asks

"I couldn't say... I can only be certain they were not from this kingdom. If you're curious, go see the castle for yourself. There. The entrance is just past the bridge." Maleficent says

"Thanks." Terra says

Terra and Ducar began running toward the castle until Maleficent spoke again, making them stop.

"Perhaps they did speak about _'imprisoning the light'_. _'The light'_ could be so many things. Could they have meant Princess Aurora?" Maleficent says

"Aurora..." Terra says

Taking note of the name, the two men enter the castle which was completely empty for some reason. The first room they found themselves in was the main hall which housed two tall thrones at the far end across from them. Terra and Ducar both saw a staircase on their right which led further up into the castle. The two men ascended the staircase and proceeded down into the hallway. As they walked through the hallways of the castle, Terra decided to talk to Ducar about Lord Thanatos.

"Ducar, about that name you mentioned. Lord Thanatos? Who is he?" Terra asks

"Bad news. Lord Thanatos is a being of pure evil. I've met him in other worlds a few times. I even met him at the Land of Departure shortly before we left and let me tell you something, he is extremely powerful. Believe it or not, he's a Keyblade Wielder like us." Ducar says

"What? How can someone like him possess a Keyblade?" Terra asks

"I asked myself that same question. I'm not sure how he came to wield a Keyblade, but I do know this. His intention is to cast other worlds into darkness and enslave innocent people. And he will destroy anyone who gets in his way." Ducar says

Terra was shocked to hear this from Ducar.

"I've heard him mention of his master, The Dark Lord of the Shadows, who supposedly commands an evil empire." Ducar says

"But who is this Dark Lord?" Terra asks

"That's what I don't know. I can only imagine it must be someone very powerful." Ducar says

The two men soon came upon the door to the tower room where inside was Princess Aurora. The door was enveloped with a dark blue and purple aura of darkness which prevented Terra and Ducar from entering the room. Terra and Ducar took a few steps back and summoned their Keyblades into their hands. They both aimed their Keyblades at the door and shot a beam of light at it, making the dark aura disappear. Terra and Ducar entered the room and came across a sleeping Aurora. The moment they saw her, they sensed a strange light emanating from her.

"This feels so familiar." Terra says

"I can feel sense something from this woman, yet it feels familiar." Ducar says

"Her heart is filled with light, not the slightest touch of darkness. Just the kind of heart I need." Maleficent says

Ducar and Terra turned around upon hearing Maleficent's voice.

"For what?" Terra asks

"Imagine with me, the most glorious of futures. Seven of the purest hearts, each overflowing with light. When brought together, they grant the power to rule all worlds." Maleficent says

"What are you talking about?" Ducar asks

"What do you mean?" Terra asks

"Why, those keys you hold... The Keyblade, is it called?" Maleficent asks

The two men gasp in shock upon hearing this from Maleficent and they both summoned their Keyblades.

"Where did you learn that name?" Terra asks

"That trinket is the only way to obtain the hearts." Maleficent says

"No more games! Where is Master Xehanort!" Terra says in a demanding voice

"And where is Lord Thanatos! Answer us!" Ducar says in a demanding voice

"Impudence will get you nowhere. If you wish to learn more, you must retrieve the heart of Aurora." Maleficent says

"And why would we ever want to do that?" Terra asks

"It's not a matter of 'why', but of will. In your hearts, there is darkness just waiting to be awakened." Maleficent says

In that moment, Maleficent began to glow with darkness as does Terra and Ducar.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Terra says

"Perhaps not yet, but I have power over sleep. And I can awaken what's inside you. Then, you will be free to be who you truly are." Maleficent says

Terra and Ducar both grunted in pain as the darkness within the two of them was awakened. As the darkness overtook them, they could hear Master Eraqus voice echoing through their minds.

 _"Remember that darkness lurks in every heart."_

 _"Darkness is our foe."_

 _"Would that we could be rid of it."_

 _"You must destroy it."_

 _"Push the darkness down. Give it no quarter in your heart."_

The two men were soon put into a trance-like state. Terra and Ducar both opened their eyes which had now become a pale version of their eye color. The two men held their Keyblades over Princess Aurora and a bright light shined from the tips of their Keyblades. Princess Aurora's heart was released and the orb of light floats into Maleficent's hands.

"Here it is. Just what I have waited for." Maleficent says

Once the deed was done, Terra and Ducar recovered from their trance, inhaling a large amount of air with a deep breath.

"To think of what they spoke of was and always will be true." Maleficent says

"Ah. Ugh. What just...?" Ducar asks

"What? How did I...?" Terra asks

The two men looked down at Aurora and gasped in shock. They quickly turned around and faced Maleficent.

"What happened?!" Ducar asks

"What did we do? What did you do?" Terra asks

"You speak as if I pulled some invisible strings. No, you couldn't be further from the truth. I simply whispered into the darkness you both already held inside." Maleficent says

Terra and Ducar both turn to look at Princess Aurora, realizing the terrible deed they had done.

"No!" Ducar gasps

"How could I do this?" Terra asks

Terra looks down at Princess Aurora. As he did, he saw a vision of Ventus in a comatose state just like Aurora.

"Ven!" Terra exclaims

Ducar looks down at Princess Aurora and he saw a vision of his son, Devon in a comatose state just like Ventus.

"Devon!" Ducar exclaims

"Yes... Now, you want to know where Xehanort and Lord Thanatos went. Well, that I cannot answer. They disappeared into the darkness. But now I know the Keyblade is necessary to gather hearts. Join me. Collect six more hearts of pure light. Then, we shall rule all the worlds together." Maleficent says

"Never!" Ducar says with a growl

"You seem to be mixed up. We're peacekeepers, not tyrants!" Terra says

Suddenly, the castle began to shake with a violent tremor, making Terra and Ducar struggle to maintain their balance while Maleficent didn't seemed bothered by it whatsoever.

"Hmm... For peacekeepers, you're off to an exceptionally poor start. Remember this, the darkness cannot be held back by force or strength. Now... my work here is done, as is yours. Wasn't there someone you needed to chase?" Maleficent says

Having said that, Maleficent disappears in a column of green flames. Terra and Ducar both charge toward Maleficent with their Keyblade to try and stop her.

"Wait!" Terra says

"Stop!" Ducar says

Before they could reach her, Maleficent disappears laughing maniacally. The two men then focus back on the tremor which shook the castle.

"The Unversed! They're gonna bring down the castle! We've got do something!" Terra exclaims

"C'mon! Let's go!" Ducar says

Terra and Ducar run out of the room and headed down the castle. They entered the throne room where a large Unversed stood before them. It's name: Wheel Master. The Unversed resembled a spinning wheel having a large, claw-like spool and a large wheel.

The Wheel Master struck first by snaring Terra and Ducar in a thread of dark energy wrapped around their bodies together. The two men struggled in the thread of darkness, but they eventually broke free, making the Wheel Master stagger back. With the Unversed left dazed, the two men saw their chance to attack. Terra attacks the Wheel Master with two spinning slashes, then finishes with a powerful overhead strike. Ducar strikes the Wheel Master with three spinning slashes, then finishes with three strong overhead strikes.

The Wheel Master swings it's arms at the two men, but they both jump back. Then, the Unversed throws it's wheel at the two Keyblade Wielders, but they jump over to the sides, making it miss. Terra throws his Keyblade five times at the Wheel Master while Ducar holds his Keyblade out infront of him and launches multiple light projectiles from the tip of his Keyblade. Both of their attacks hit the Wheel Master numerous times.

The Wheel Master leaped up into the air and tried to smash down on the two men, but they both jump away before they were nearly crushed by the large Unversed. As it lands, the Unversed created a shockwave in a wide radius across the ground. Fortunately, Terra and Ducar were safely enough away from the shockwave. The Wheel Master started to glow with a red aura of anger and it charged at Terra and Ducar, galloping toward the two men in an attempt to ram them. Terra and Ducar both jumped out of the path of the Wheel Master, making the large Unversed crash into a nearby wall.

With the Wheel Master left stunned, Terra and Ducar saw their chance to attack. Terra and Ducar both jet forward at the Wheel Master, striking it with a series of charging attacks, thrusting their Keyblades at the Unversed multiple times. Then, the two men leaped up into the air and slammed their Keyblades down on the Wheel Master, finishing the fight.

After dealing with the Unversed, the two men returned to the tower room where Princess Aurora was safe.

"It's my fault her heart was stolen. It was because I was weak. I'm sorry." Terra says

"It's not just your fault, Terra. It was my fault as well. I've allowed this to happen. We'll get her light back, once we learn to stand up against the darkness." Ducar says

"Right." Terra says

Terra and Ducar both take their leave out of the castle and walk across the stone bridge.

 _"Why would Xehanort want to imprison the light? The purest hearts of light. Do they hold the answer?"_ Terra asks himself

 _"Why would Lord Thanatos be seeking the Princesses of Heart? It would make sense since their hearts are filled with light, but why? There must be more to this."_ Ducar says to himself

The two men leave the Enchanted Dominion, but they would always carry the memory of the terrible misdeed they had committed. Maleficent watched Terra and Ducar leave from another tower room.

"Seven pure hearts, each completely void of darkness. Such a search may take some time." Maleficent says

Maleficent turns around and disappears in a column of green flames.

( _Moments later_ )

Shortly after Terra and Ducar's arrival, Ventus arrived at the Enchanted Dominion and was walking through the hallways of King Stefan's castle, searching for any signs of the two men.

"Still no sign of Terra or Ducar." Ventus says

Ventus turns to his left and enters the tower room where inside was Princess Aurora sleeping. Ventus quickly notices Princess Aurora and quietly moves toward her.

"Stop! You get away from her!" A female voice says

Ventus quickly turns around and saw the three fairies: Flora, the red fairy, Fauna, the green fairy, and Merryweather, the blue fairy standing infront of him.

"Oh. I'm sorry. It's just. I've never seen anyone so beautiful." Ventus says

"Who are you?" Flora asks

"I'm Ventus. But you can call me Ven."

"Oh, I don't think you're bad, dear. I'm sure you have a pure heart just like our precious Aurora." Fauna says

"Can you tell me why she's sleeping?" Ventus asks

"Long ago, Maleficent cursed her. Now, she's stolen her heart." Flora says

"Hm. Well then, why don't I get it back for her?" Ventus says

"That's impossible, dear. Maleficent's home is at the Forbidden Mountain. It's not safe." Fauna says

"I'm not afraid. We can't just leave Aurora like this. I can help. You gotta believe me." Ventus says

"You know, you're absolutely right. The Forbidden Mountain is just through the forest. Come along, follow us. After all, we wouldn't want you to get lost." Flora says

Ventus nods and follows the three fairies out of King Stefan's castle and into the forest. After traversing through the forest, they soon saw Maleficent's castle in the distance on the Forbidden Mountain. Unfortunately, their path to the castle was blocked by a wall of green fire.

"Looks like we're stuck." Ventus says

"This must be Maleficent's doing." Flora says

"I know." Fauna says

Fauna approaches the wall of fire and waves her wand, causing the wall of green flame to disappear.

"Shall we?" Fauna says

With that, Ventus and the three fairies continue toward Maleficent's castle. Once inside, they find Princess Aurora's heart deep within a maze. It takes them a while to traverse through the maze, but eventually, they reach Aurora's heart imprisoned in a mass of green fire. Ventus points his Keyblade toward Aurora's Heart and shoots a beam of light toward it. The beam of light hits the mass of green fire and the flames dim down.

As Ventus releases the captive heart, his vision was blinded by a bright light.

( _Flashback_ )

As his vision adjusted to the light, Ventus saw a memory of Aurora when she met Prince Phillip in the woods.

 _"Don't you remember? We've met before." Phillip says_

 _"We... we have?" Aurora asks_

 _"Why of course. You said it yourself once upon a dream." Phillip says_

 _"I never thought I would meet you, outside of my dreams that is." Aurora says_

 _"Who are you? What's your name?" Phillip asks_

 _"Hmm? Oh my name? Why it's... Oh. Oh no. I can't. Goodbye." Aurora says_

Aurora began to take her leave.

 _"I must see you!" Phillip says_

 _"I don't know. Maybe someday." Aurora says_

 _"When? Tomorrow?" Phillip asks_

 _"Oh, no. This evening! At the cottage, in the glen." Aurora says_

Having said that, Aurora takes her leave thus ending the memory.

( _Present time_ )

Ventus found himself back in the maze after seeing the vision.

"What was that?" Ventus asks

"Aurora's memory. She must have gotten her heart back." Flora says

"So her dream came true!" Ventus says

"Yes, not long ago. Dreams are very strong beliefs. Aurora's led her to her true love." Flora says

"I see you hold strong beliefs too. Don't you, dear?" Fauna says

"Yup." Ventus says

"You also have a strong light." Flora says

"All right. Hurry! We can't stay here." Merryweather says

With that, Ventus and the three fairies began making their way out of Maleficent's Castle.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Outside Maleficent's castle, Aqua enters The Enchanted Dominion at the base of the Forbidden Mountains. As she stood at the edge of the forest, Aqua saw something flying out of the dark castle.

"What's that?" Aqua says

What Aqua saw was Aurora's heart flying through the air towards King Stephan's castle.

"I think I'd better go take a look inside." Aqua says

( _Meanwhile_ )

Shara also arrives in The Enchanted Dominion on the bridge outside King Stefan's castle. When she arrives, she also saw Aurora's heart flying through the air towards the castle.

"I wonder what that was. There is something definitely going on here." Shara says

Shara turned around and looked off toward the forest where Aurora's heart flew out of.

"Looks like it came from that forest. I'd better check it out." Shara says

With that said, Shara headed toward the forest. After traversing through the forest, Shara arrives at the Forbidden Mountain where Maleficent's castle was in view.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Inside Maleficent's castle, Ventus and the three fairies were making their way out when they come across Maleficent herself in her throne room.

"Someone has released Aurora's heart. Tell me, child, was it you?" Maleficent says turing toward Ventus

"Maleficent!" Flora exclaims

"Only 'cause you stole it in the first place!" Ventus says

Ventus charges toward Maleficent. He jumps up into the air with his Keyblade in hand toward Maleficent. But before he could reach her, Maleficent teleports in a column of green flame.

"A Keyblade... You must be Ventus." Maleficent says

Ventus looks up and saw Maleficent standing high above him.

"Huh? How do you know about me... and the Keyblade?" Ventus asks

"My powers ensure I'd know of the key to bringing me hearts. Terra and Ducar both gave me a demonstration." Maleficent says

"Terra? Ducar? They were here?" Ventus says shocked

"Why, yes. In fact, it was they who stole Princess Aurora's heart." Maleficent says

"That's a lie!" Ventus says

Ventus got into battle stance ready to fight Maleficent.

"I was asked to leave you unharmed, but it seems I have no choice!" Maleficent says

Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather all change into their magic spark form and head over to Ventus to aid him in his fight with Maleficent.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Aqua was heading through Maleficent's Castle until several Flood Unversed blocked her path. Aqua immediately summoned her Keyblade and got into battle stance. Then, in that moment, Shara arrives in Maleficent's castle and saw Aqua fighting the Unversed.

"Aqua!" Shara calls

Aqua turned around and saw Shara running towards her.

"Shara!" Aqua exclaims

While her back was turned, a Flood jumps toward Aqua.

"Aqua! Watch out!" Shara says

Shara summoned her Keyblade: Faithful Salvation into her right-hand and jumps toward the Unversed, striking it down with a diagonal slash. Shara lands next to Aqua standing alongside her against the Unversed.

One Flood leaps toward Shara to try and claw her, but she jumps into the air with a somersault and strikes down the Flood with a downward slash from her Keyblade. Aqua jumps into the air and spins around, swinging her Keyblade at the Unversed, casting most of them down. Shara takes her Keyblade in both her hands and raises it into the air. A bright light envelopes Shara's body and her Keyblade. In that moment, several pillars of light rain down on the Unversed, sending them into oblivion. In a short battle, all of the Unversed were defeated.

After dealing with the Unversed, Shara and Aqua look at each other.

"Nice to catch up with you, Aqua." Shara says

"Same here, Shara." Aqua says

"C'mon." Shara says

Both Keyblade Wielders headed deeper into Maleficent's castle.

( _Meanwhile_ )

The battle between Ventus and Maleficent had only just begun as the two faced each other.

Maleficent attacked first by thrusting her staff toward toward Ventus, hurling dark lightning bolts at him. Afterwards, Maleficent charges at Ventus in a pinwheel-shaped cloud of dark energy. Ventus saw the incoming attack and rolled out of the way, making the witch miss him. Ventus rushes forward at Maleficent and leaps up into the air with his Keyblade over his shoulder to attack, but by the time he reaches her, Maleficent warps away in a column of green flames. She reappears at the top of the high platform and began conjuring up a spell.

"All who dare to command to break from this sleep shall never wake!" Maleficent chants

Maleficent's staff began to glow with dark energy and a pool of green flames appeared beneath her.

"Into sleep you fall forever!" Maleficent says

The three fairies flew around Ventus, offering him their aid. Ventus held his Keyblade up into the air and it glowed with pure light. Ventus aims his Keyblade at Maleficent and a ball of light was launched from the tip of the Keyblade, heading straight for the witch. The ball of light hits Maleficent with direct impact, leaving her stunned and vulnerable.

With Maleficent left stunned, Ventus bombards the witch with a flurry of quick strikes coming from his Keyblade. Ventus strikes Maleficent with a lunging strike, a right slash, and an overhead strike. Next, he hits Maleficent with two fast cross slashes, swinging his Keyblade from left to right. Then, Ventus follows up with a powerful overhead spinning slash.

Maleficent recovers from the stunned daze and warps back up to the high platform. There, she raises her staff into the air, conjuring up another spell.

"Thunder, light and lightning strike!" Maleficent chants

Several bolts of dark lightning strike down at Ventus, but he rolls out of the way to avoid being electrocuted. Ventus retaliates by throwing his Keyblade up at Maleficent, letting the wind guide it toward the witch. The Keyblade hits Maleficent directly in her chest, making her stagger back. After landing the first hit, the Keyblade flies back around and strikes Maleficent in her back. Pretty soon, the Keyblade began landing multiple hits to Maleficent, striking her from all directions. The Keyblade soon flies back over to Ventus who catches it in his right-hand.

Maleficent charges at Ventus in a pinwheel-shaped cloud of dark energy, but he rolls out of the way, making the witch miss. Maleficent warps to the center of the room and thrusts her staff forward at Ventus, sending bolts of dark lightning his way. Ventus saw the incoming attack and rolled out of the way.

It was now Ventus' turn to strike. Ventus held his Keyblade out infront of him and he began to glow with a light green aura, catching Maleficent by surprise. Within moments, Ventus strikes Maleficent with four quick horizontal slashes, swinging his Keyblade left and right. Next, he hits the witch with an advancing spin attack that hits her three times. Then, Ventus strikes Maleficent with four spinning slashes and finishes with a powerful uppercut which cuts five slash marks of light into the ground, knocking Maleficent back and thus finishing the fight.

Only moments after the fight was finished, Aqua and Shara enter Maleficent's throne room where Ventus had just defeated the witch. Maleficent walks up the stairs of her throne room breathing heavily.

"There's no way Terra or Ducar would hurt someone like that!" Ventus says

"You don't believe me? That's unfortunate, for they agreed so easily." Maleficent says

"They did?" Ventus asks

"Ven! Don't be fooled!" Aqua says

"Don't listen to her lies!" Shara says

Ven looks over to his left and saw Aqua and Shara rushing toward him.

"Aqua! Shara!" Ventus exclaims

"Terra and Ducar would never do that. You know that as well as we do." Aqua says

"Yeah!" Ventus says

"Ahh... the truth can be most cruel, even amongst the closest of friends. After all, one never knows the secrets of another heart. I'm sure you'll agree, Ventus... Aqua... Shara." Maleficent says

Aqua and Shara glared at Maleficent angrily, then looked at Ventus.

"The Master sent us. Ven... let's go home." Aqua says offering her hand to Ventus

"But Terra... and Ducar..." Ventus says

"Terra and Ducar's not ready to leave yet." Aqua says

"They have their own path to take, Ven. Yours is back home. Please." Shara says

As he stood there thinking, Ventus had a flashback.

( _Flashback_ )

Ventus remembers what Vanitas told him back on the Land of Departure.

 _"Like right now? They're leaving you behind. And by the time you catch up, they will both be a different person." Vanitas says_

( _Present time_ )

"Sorry, Aqua. Sorry, Shara. But I can't go with you." Ventus says

"What?" Aqua says

"Why not?" Shara asks

"It's just... I have to find them before it's too late." Ventus says

With that said, Ventus takes his leave and rushes out of Maleficent's castle.

"Ven! Wait!" Aqua cries out

Aqua and Shara was about to run after Ventus until Maleficent spoke, making them stop.

"I see you too wield a Keyblade." Maleficent says

"How do you know about the Keyblade?" Shara asks

"A source of power. A key that opens the hearts of men, of entire worlds, and allows one to obtain anything and everything. Such a power I find most fascinating." Maleficent says

"So Terra... he really..." Aqua says

"Ducar... My husband... Could he really have..." Shara says

"Yes. Now, my dears, would you like to assist me as well?" Maleficent says

"Never!" Aqua says

"As if we'd serve a witch like you!" Shara says

"I see, Lord Thanatos and Xehanort were right. You two are most stubborn girls." Maleficent says

"Lord Thanatos?! How do you know about him and Master Xehanort?!" Shara asks

"It seems you both need time to consider my offer. Fortunately, I have the perfect place." Maleficent says

Maleficent drives her staff into the ground and a dark portal appears beneath Shara and Aqua causing them both to fall into it.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Ventus runs through the courtyard of Maleficent's castle as he was constantly worried about Terra and Ducar.

"Terra, Ducar, where are you?" Ventus asks

Ventus soon leaves Maleficent's castle and leaves the Enchanted Dominion.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Shara and Aqua fall out of the dark portal and land in the dungeon where they both meet Prince Phillip sitting on a stone bench in chains.

"Who are you?" Phillip asks

"My name is Aqua."

"And I'm Shara."

"It looks like we were caught in a trap." Aqua says

"But why are you imprisoned here?" Shara asks

"To prevent me from breaking her evil curse. I was to meet the most beautiful girl at a cottage in the glen, but now my true love lies in eternal slumber and only I can break the spell." Phillip says

"You must really love her." Aqua says

The three fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather fly into the dungeon and approach Shara, Aqua, and Phillip.

"Is what you say true?" Flora asks

"Yes. Maleficent told me." Phillip says

"Oh! Prince Phillip! It's you!" Flora exclaims

The three fairies help free Prince Phillip from his chains and he stood infront of them.

"Now, Phillip, the road to true love may be barred by many more dangers which you alone will have to face." Flora says

"We're going with you." Aqua says

"Right. There's something we need to know and only Maleficent has the answer. " Shara says

"Yes, of course, dears. Now, come along. We must hurry to Aurora." Flora says

With that said, Shara, Aqua, Prince Phillip now equipped with a sword and shield headed out of the dungeon. Just before they could leave, Maleficent's raven, Diablo, spots them and lets out some loud caws, alerting Maleficent's goons. The walls to the left and right crumble and Maleficent's goons came rushing toward the trio armed with spears, maces, and bows and arrows. The heroic trio stood ready as they prepared to fight their way through Maleficent's goons.

Shara swings her Keyblade down on one goon that tried to bash her with it's mace, then she delivers an uppercut to another goon that tried to stab her with it's spear. One of Maleficent's goons aims it's bow at Shara and fires an arrow at her. Shara deflects the arrow back at the goon, effectively taking it out.

Aqua aims her Keyblade at one of Maleficent's goons and launches a fireball at it, sending it ablaze. Another goon charges at Aqua with it's mace, but she launches a ball of ice from the tip of her Keyblade, freezing the goon right on the spot. Four goons armed with spears and maces surround Aqua and try to attack her all at once, but she raises her Keyblade into the air, summoning lightning bolts around her to zap the goons away.

Prince Phillip swings his sword down on one of Maleficent's goons, then swings his sword down on another one. One of Maleficent's goons fired an arrow at Prince Phillip, but he uses his shield to defend himself. He then takes out the goon with just a swipe of his sword.

The heroic trio eventually made it out of Maleficent's castle and began making their way toward King Stefan's castle by crossing the bridge. Seeing that Prince Phillip and the two Keyblade Wielders escaped, Maleficent conjured up a spell.

"A forest of thorns shall be your tomb. Wound 'bound the castle in a bower of doom!" Maleficent says

Maleficent thrusts her staff forward casting dark lightning on the bridge covering it in black thorns. Before Shara, Aqua, and Prince Phillip could reach the castle, Maleficent appears before the trio in a column of green flames.

"Maleficent! What did Lord Thanatos and Master Xehanort tell you?" Shara asks demanding an answer

"Such a pity that neither of you don't have Terra or Ducar's gift for obedience. Nor can you see how easy it was for them." Maleficent says

"Terra would never do anything to help you!" Aqua says

"And I know very well that Ducar would never commit any terrible deed! I know my husband! He is strong! He would never allow the darkness to corrupt him!" Shara says

"Quite the contrary. They fully embraced the darkness within themselves." Maleficent says

"Stop lying!" Aqua shouts

"See for yourself. All the powers of Hell!" Maleficent says

Maleficent crosses her arms and thrusts them out. A large column of green fire envelopes Maleficent and she transforms into a large black dragon. Shara, Aqua, and Prince Phillip all prepared themselves for a fierce fight against Maleficent in her dragon form.

Maleficent attacks first by unleashing a jet of green flames from her mouth at the heroic trio. Prince Phillip quickly got infront of Shara and Aqua and held his shield up to defend them from the green flames. Next, the black dragon rises up on her hind legs and tries to stomp down on the heroes, but they jump back to avoid being crushed to the ground.

Aqua aims her Keyblade at Maleficent and fires a volley of bubbles at the black dragon. Each of the bubbles burst in a splash of light as they hit the black dragon. Shara aims her Keyblade at Maleficent and fires a salvo of rainbow-colored orbs at the black dragon.

Maleficent snaps her jaws at the three heroes, but they jump back and kept their distance away from the black dragon. Then, Maleficent slams her paws down on the bridge, creating shockwaves across the ground, but the heroic trio jumps back and avoid the attack.

Aqua rushes forward at Maleficent and rams into her head while cloaked in a barrier of light. Upon impact, the barrier bursts in a splash of light. Shara leaps into the air with a twirl and raises her Keyblade above her, creating eight orbs of light around her. Shara teleports to each of the light orbs and launches them one by one at Maleficent with a swing of her Keyblade.

Maleficent takes off into the air and flies above the heroes. She flies around the bridge over the side near the castle and hovers in the air. Shara rushes forward and leaps high into the air and lands on Maleficent's back. Once on her back, Shara slams her Keyblade five times down on Maleficent. The black dragon lands back on the bridge and shakes Shara off her.

Aqua points her Keyblade at Maleficent and launches three fireballs toward her. The three fireballs hit Maleficent directly in her chest. Next, Aqua launches three chunks of ice toward Maleficent. The three chunks of ice hit Maleficent, landing a direct hit at her chest. Then, Aqua blasts Maleficent head-on with a bolt of lightning from the tip of her Keyblade. Shara leaps up into the air with a backflip and soars straight at Maleficent with her body glowing in a blue aura. She lands a direct hit to Maleficent's chest, then heads skyward into the air. Shara loops around and swoops down on the black dragon with an aerial dive. She flies skyward again and hits Maleficent with another diving strike. Finally, Shara came crashing down on Maleficent's chest with a spiral, creating an explosion of light which dishes out some serious damage to the black dragon.

Maleficent was left weakened by Shara and Aqua's attacks. Just when they thought they had Maleficent on the run, the black dragon breathes a jet of green flames, creating a wall of fire which separates Shara and Aqua from Prince Phillip.

"No!" Aqua says

Maleficent attacks Prince Phillip trying to bite him with her jaws, but he leans his body away and swings his sword at the black dragon. While Prince Phillip fights Maleficent, the three fairies lend him their aid.

"All together." Flora says

Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather wave their wands toward Prince Phillip, making his sword glow with light.

"Now sword of truth, fly swift and sure that evil die and good endure!" Flora says

Prince Phillip throws his sword at Maleficent, piercing the black dragon directly in her chest. Maleficent falls defeated and her body was engulfed in green flames and she disappears. The dark thorns that covered the bridge disappear and the castle reverts back to normal. With Maleficent defeated, Prince Phillip runs up the castle and awakens Aurora with a kiss. Maleficent, back in her original form, not quite defeated, limps away on the bridge.

"It's the power of true love that defeated you." Aqua says

"I will not be defeated by something as insignificant as love." Maleficent says

"You don't even know the first thing about it. You're too clouded by darkness to see that there is something far greater. Try all you want, but you'll never defeat a heart filled with light." Aqua says

"Say what you will about love, but it's power overcomes all. It is what gives the light strength to defeat the darkness. And evil tyrants like you fail to realize that. That is why light will always endure." Shara says

"Perhaps. But remember one thing, as long as there is light, there will be darkness. And in time, many more will be drawn to it. Then, they will all belong to me!" Maleficent says

Having said that, Maleficent disappears in a column of green flame laughing maniacally. Shara and Aqua look up toward the sky, thinking about Terra and Ducar.

"Terra, you better stay strong for us." Aqua says

"Ducar, please stay strong. For your friends. And our son." Shara says

Shara closes her eyes for a brief moment, then looks at Aqua.

"C'mon, Aqua. We have to go." Shara says

"Right." Aqua says

With that said, Shara and Aqua leave the Enchanted Dominion and continue their journey.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Now, we move onto the worlds of Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep starting with the Enchanted Dominion where the heroes face the witch, Maleficent. Terra and Ducar arrive into the world and meet Maleficent who awakens the darkness within them, making them steal Princess Aurora's heart. Afterwards, Ventus arrives and meets the three fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather and helps them get back Aurora's heart. Then, Aqua and Shara team up with Prince Phillip to fight Maleficent and break her curse. A quick note for everyone, I found an even better voice reference for Shara, Devon's mother. Now, Shara will be voiced by Rachel Kimsey, the voice of Rachel Kane in _Call of Duty: Black Ops 3_. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	22. The Castle of Dreams

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _Castle of Dreams_ )

Inside a chateau, a young woman known as Cinderella sat at the window of her room on a wooden bench staring out at a majestic palace in the distance. Suddenly, she heard a small voice calling out to her.

"Cinderella! Cinderella! Come on! Gotta hurry! Gotta hurry!" The voice says

The voice belonged to a small mouse named Jaq who happened to be Cinderella's friend. Jaq scurried out from a mouse hole and climbed up her bed.

"Now, Jaq, what's all the fuss about?" Cinderella asks

"Somebody new in the house! Somebody I never saw before." Jaq says

"Oh, a new friend. Where is he?" Cinderella asks

"In a trap! Down the stairs!" Jaq says

"Oh dear!" Cinderella gasps

Cinderella got up from the bench and headed out of the room to head downstairs.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Ventus arrives in the Castle of Dreams and found himself inside another room within the chateau.

"What is going on?" Ventus asks

Ventus walked around wondering where he was and what was going on. It didn't take him long to realize that he had shrunken down to the size of a mouse and that he was caught inside a oval-shaped mouse trap.

"Somebody tell me how I got so small!" Ventus says

Ventus looked over at the door to the room and saw it open. Cinderella entered the room and picked up the mouse trap. Ventus lost his balance and was sent rolling to the back of the trap.

"Don't be afraid." Cinderella says

Cinderella lifted up the lid of the trap and looked into it. She was surprised when she saw Ventus inside.

"Oh! How interesting... I've never seen a mouse like you before." Cinderella says

"Mouse?" Ventus asks feeling confused

"Jaq, you better explain some things to him." Cinderella says

Cinderella set the trap down onto the floor gently. Jaq walked into the trap and spoke to Ventus.

"Now, now, now. Look, little guy. Take it easy. Nothing to worry about. We like you. Cinderella likes you, too. She's nice, very nice. Come on now. Zugk-zugk." Jaq says

Ventus and Jaq stepped out of the trap and introduced themselves.

"My name is Jaq."

"I'm Ventus. Call me Ven."

"Okay, Ven. Need something? Ask Jaq!" Jaq says

Suddenly, the trio heard a female voice calling Cinderella's name. This voice belonged to Lady Tremaine who happened to be Cinderella's step-mother.

"Cinderella!" Lady Tremaine calls

"Oh well, time to get to my chores. I'll see you in a little while, Ven." Cinderella says

With that said, Cinderella stood up and left the room, leaving Ventus with Jaq.

"Wow. I guess she's got her hands full." Ventus says

"Yep, work, work, work! Stepmother keeps Cinderella busy all day!" Jaq says

"She didn't seem to mind much, though." Ventus says

"No, not Cinderella. She works hard. She's got a dream, a big dream. The dream's gonna come true!" Jaq says

"That sounds like somebody I know." Ventus says

Ventus had a brief flashback remembering what Terra said about being a Keyblade Master.

 _"Being a Keyblade Master is all I've dreamed about."_

After remembering that, Ventus asked Jaq the obvious question.

"Hey, maybe you can help me find him! His name's Terra. You seen him? Or someone named Ducar?" Ventus says

"No. I never saw Terra or Ducar before." Jaq says

"Oh, well. It was worth a shot." Ventus says

"Come on. Follow me. Gotta see the house." Jaq says

"H-hey!" Ventus says

Jaq scurried into a mouse hole with Ventus following him. The two went up to Cinderella's room and stood at the window looking out toward the palace.

"What's that?" Ventus asks

"That's the palace. The King's palace. There's going to be a big ball there tonight." Jaq says

"Is Cinderella going?" Ventus asks

"I don't know..." Jaq says with a sigh

Suddenly, Ventus and Jaq heard the door to the room open and they turned around to see Cinderella walking inside toward them.

"Hello, you two. Have you become friends already?" Cinderella asks

Ventus and Jaq look at each other and nod yes.

"Oh, that's wonderful." Cinderella says

Cinderella gently placed a black manican down on one side of the room which held a lovely pink dress on it.

"You sure do look happy, Cinderella." Ventus says

"Mm, I'm going to the royal ball tonight. I guess dreams really do come true." Cinderella says

"Cinderella!" Lady Tremaine calls

"My dress will have to wait." Cinderella says

Two more voice called out to Cinderella. These voices belonged to Lady Tremaine's daughters, Anastasia and Drizella.

"Cinderella!" Anastasia calls

"Cinderella!" Drizella calls

"All right, all right, I'm coming!" Cinderella says

Cinderella went to attend her chores while Ventus and Jaq watched her leave the room.

"Poor Cinderella... She's not going to the ball." Jaq says

"Why not?" Ventus asks

"You'll see. They'll fix her. Work, work, work. She'll never get her dress done. Say, I got an idea! Ven, will you help me?" Jaq says

"With what?" Ventus asks

"Fix up Cinderella's dress for the ball." Jaq says

"But what do we need to get?" Ventus asks crossing his arms

"Look around the house. There are lots of pretty things." Jaq says

"Alright. Let's do it. I'll go find whatever we need. Jaq, you get things set up here." Ventus says

Ventus jumps down from the window and safely lands on the floor.

"Ven! Be careful of Lucifer!" Jaq warns

"Roos-a-fee?" Ventus asks looking up at Jaq feeling confused

"Lucifer is a cat! He's mean... sneaky... He'll jump at you, bite at you!" Jaq says

"Gotcha." Ventus says

Ventus heads into the mouse hole and began looking around the house for items to help finish Cinderella's dress. His search brought him to the room where Cinderlla found him in the mouse trap. In this room, Ventus immediately found the first item on his list: a length of soft pink fabric laying on the floor. This was one of the few things that Jaq needed for Cinderella's dress. Ventus looked around the room some more and found a lovely piece of white lace sitting on a sofa on one side of the room. He had already found two items for Cinderella's dress and Ventus felt that there rest was somewhere in the room. Ventus looked up at a tower made up of two thick books and saw the next item on his list: a pretty white sash sitting up at the very top. He climbed up the tower of books and collected the sash, adding it to his collection of materials. From atop the books, Ventus had a good view of the room. From his vantage point, Ventus quickly found the next item of his search: a simple white button sitting on a dresser across from him. Fortunately for Ventus, he was not far away from the dresser and could make the jump to it easily enough. Ventus jumped over to the dresser and collected the button. Now, Ventus was left with only one item to find. He soon found it sitting way up on a book shelf high above him. Seeing that there was no way to get up to the book shelf from within the room, Ventus went back into the mouse hole. Ventus climbed up the wooden beams that was inside the inner workings of the chateau, making his way up to a mouse hole a few feet above him. Once he reached it, he went through the mouse hole and came out onto the top of the wardrobe. On his left was the book shelf which had the item he seeked, but he had to jump to get across. Ventus took a few steps back and sprinted toward the edge of the wardrobe. He made it across to the shelf and acquired the last item on his list: a spool of pink thread.

Having found all the items for Cinderella's dress, Ventus went back to Cinderella's room through the mouse hole. Once he got there, he gave all the items to Jaq and helped him fix up Cinderella's dress. The dress was nearly complete only Jaq felt that it needed one more thing.

"It still needs a pretty pearl." Jaq says

"Leave it to me!" Ventus says

Ventus went back into the mouse hole and descended down to the wardrobe room. As soon as Ventus came out of the mouse hole, he saw the cat, Lucifer sleeping in the middle of the room. Ventus quickly hides behind the leg of a wooden table and peers around it. He saw a pearl laying right infront of Lucifer.

"Oh. There it is." Ventus says

Ventus quietly sneaks up on the sleeping cat, tip-toeing across the room. He stops only a few inches infront of the cat and waves his left-hand infront of him to make sure Lucifer was sound asleep. Seeing that Lucifer was asleep, Ventus quietly picks up the pearl in his hands. Just as he turns to leave, Lucifer awakes and tries to attack him while his back was turned.  
Lucifer raises his left-paw to strike when Jaq calls out to Ventus.

"Look out, Lucifer!" Jaq says

A ball of yarn was thrown at Lucifer, bouncing off his head. Ventus and Lucifer look over toward a nearby dresser and saw Jaq standing ontop of it with another ball of yarn held over his head.

"Hurry! Hurry, Ven!" Jaq says

Jaq hurls more yarn balls at Lucifer, making the cat run around the room. Lucifer rams into the dresser, making Jaq fall off. Jaq lands flat on his stomach onto the floor.

"Ooh, that hurts..." Jaq says

Jaq looks up and saw Lucifer with his paw raised to strike. Ventus charges at Lucifer and knocks his paw away with a swing of his Keyblade.

"Time to play, cat!" Ventus says

"Ven!" Jaq exclaims

"Take the pearl, Jaq. I'll hold him off. Run!" Ventus says

Ventus holds the pearl behind his back and hands it to Jaq.

"Okay!" Jaq says

Jaq runs off with the pearl while Ventus stays to deal with Lucifer.

Lucifer attacked first and tried to bring his left-paw down on Ventus, but he rolls over to the right and dodges the attack. Ventus throws his Keyblade at Lucifer which lands a hit on his head, leaving the cat dazed for a brief moment. Lucifer shook his head and leaps up onto the nearby dresser. From there, Lucifer jumps off and tries to body slam Ventus into the floor. Reacting quickly, Ventus jumps back, making Lucifer miss. Lucifer was left dazed after slamming onto the floor. Seeing this, Ventus jumped onto Lucifer's' back and began riding him like a raging bull. Lucifer tried to shake Ventus off, but he held on tight. Eventually, Lucifer rams his head into the wardrobe and was left dazed with his eyes rolling around. Using this as an opportunity, Ventus bashes Lucifer's head multiple times with his Keyblade.

The fight was relatively short and Lucifer runs out of the room. Once Lucifer was gone, Jaq walks up to Ventus.

"Oh, that's a big thank you." Jaq says

"No thanks needed. You saved me before, so I saved you. That's what friends do, right?" Ventus says

"Yep! Ven and Jaq are good friends!" Jaq says

"Now, let's get that dress finished." Ventus says

( _Moments later_ )

After finishing her chores, Cinderella walks into her room and took a seat at the window, looking out toward the palace.

"Oh, well... What's a royal ball? After all, I suppose it would be frightfully dull and boring... and completely... completely wonderful." Cinderella says

Cinderella continued to look at the palace until she heard Ventus calling her.

"Cinderella!" Ventus calls

Cinderella turned around and saw the three-sided mirror open up to reveal her completed dress.

"Is that my dress?" Cinderella asks

"Yes. It's a present from us. Now, you have a dress for the ball." Ventus says

Cinderella lowers her hands down Ventus and Jaq and raises them up to her.

"Why it's... it's such a surprise." Cinderella says

"Hurry! Time to go, Cinderella!" Jaq says

"Oh, thank you." Cinderella says

( _Moments later_ )

After Cinderella put on her dress, she went out to head to the ball. Ventus and Jaq sat at the window, looking out at the palace in the distance.

"I hope Cinderella's dream comes true. What are your dreams, Ven?" Jaq says

Ventus thought about what his dream was.

"Hmm... I wonder..." Ventus says

Ventus has another flashback of Terra discussing his dream to be a Keyblade Master. Only this time, he heard Aqua's voice in this flashback as well.

 _"Being a Keyblade Master is all I dreamed about."_

 _"Well, you're not the only one."_

 _"I know. You, Ven, Shara, Ducar, Devon and me all share the same dream."_

"Funny... I'd never really thought about it, at least until you asked me." Ventus says

Ventus stretches out his right-hand and summons his Keyblade into his hand in a flash of light.

"My dream is to become a Keyblade Master." Ventus says

"I hope your dream comes true, too." Jaq says

"I just need to keep believing, right?" Ventus says looking at Jaq

"Right." Jaq says

The two friends smile and continue to look out toward the palace.

( _Moments later_ )

Shortly after Ventus left, Terra and Ducar arrives in the Lady Tremaine's garden. They soon saw Cinderella crying against a stone bench. Her dress which Ventus and Jaq made for her was torn to shreds by her evil stepsisters. The two men approach Cinderella and kneel down to her.

"Are you alright?" Ducar asks

"Is something wrong?" Terra asks

"It's just that my friends made me the most beautiful dress, but my stepmother and stepsisters ruined it. And I was so looking forward to the ball." Cinderella sobs

"Darkness always finds a way into a wounded heart. You have to be strong. Strength of heart will carry you through the hardest of trials." Terra says

"Sadness and pain is what feeds the darkness. You need to have a strong heart full of light to keep the darkness at bay." Ducar says

"But I..." Cinderella sobs

Suddenly, a group of Flood Unversed emerged from the ground behind the trio. Terra and Ducar turn around to see the Unversed appearing before them.

"Unversed!" Ducar exclaims

One Flood leaps forward at Ducar for an attack, but he strikes it down with a left-diagonal slash. Another Flood leaps at Ducar to attack him, but he slices it in half with a right slash. Two more Flood try to attack Ducar both at the same time, but he strikes down one Flood with a roundhouse slash, then whirls around the other way to strike down the other Flood with a reverse roundhouse slash.

Terra slices one Flood in half with an uppercut, hits another Flood with a right slash, then strikes down a third Flood with a downward slash. Three Flood try to attack Terra all at once, but he strikes each of them down with three intense slashes. One Flood leaps forward at Terra for an attack, but he sends it into the air with an uppercut. He jumps up after the Unversed and knocks it higher into the air with another uppercut. Then, Terra smacks the Flood down to the ground with a downward slash.

Soon, all of the Unversed were vanquished and the garden was made safe again.

"I can't believe... Not anymore..." Cinderella sobs

Terra and Ducar kept Cinderella safe from the Unversed, but they both felt bad for her. Suddenly, blue sparkles of light began to appear around the garden with a voice speaking out to Cinderella.

"Strength of heart is important, but that's not all you need." A female voice says

Terra and Ducar looked around at the sparkling lights, then drawed their attention toward Cinderella. They were surprised by what they saw. The sparkles of light slowly came together in the shape of a fairy on the stone bench where Cinderella cried.

"There's nothing left to believe in... Nothing." Cinderella sobs

"Nothing, my dear? Oh, now, you don't really mean that." Fairy Godmother says

"Oh, but I do... It's just no use." Cinderella sobs

"Nonsense! If you'd lost all your faith, I couldn't be here, and here I am." Fairy Godmother says

Cinderella looked up and saw the Fairy Godmother sitting before her.

"Oh, come now, dry those tears. You can't go to the ball looking like that." Fairy Godmother says

"The ball? Oh, but I'm not-" Cinderella says

"Of course you are. But we'll have to hurry." Fairy Godmother says

The Fairy Godmother put a finger to her chin as she pondered to herself.

"Now, what were those magic words? Oh yes..." Fairy Godmother says

The Fairy Godmother walked past Cinderella, Terra, and Ducar toward a pumpkin patch. With a wave of her wand, the Fairy Godmother chanted a spell.

"Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!" Fairy Godmother says

A magical wisp of light flew over to a pumpkin patch and touches a small pumpkin, making it come to life. The pumpkin stood up on it's long stems and rolled over to the Fairy Godmother. With a wave of her wand, the Fairy Godmother made the pumpkin grow in size. Soon, the pumpkin was transformed into a white carriage having two white horses pulling it and a coachman. Then, the Fairy Godmother flicks her wand at Cinderella. Wisps of light swirled around Cinderella, changing her torn up dress into a beautiful white dress.

"Oh, it's a beautiful dress." Cinderella says looking at her dress

Cinderella rushes over a neaby fountain and looks into the water, looking at her reflection.

"Why... it's a dream come true!" Cinderella says

"Yes, but like all dreams... I'm afraid this can't last forever. You'll have only till midnight, and then, on the stroke of twelve, the spell will be broken, and everything will be as it was before." Fairy Godmother says

"Yes, I understand." Cinderella says

Cinderella walks over to the Fairy Godmother and hugs her. She then boards her carriage, waves good-bye to Terra, Ducar, and the Fairy Godmother, and rides off toward the palace to attend the ball.

"Her heart was full of light. Why didn't I see it." Terra says

"Of course. She must be one of the Princesses of Heart." Ducar says

"What did you do? I can hardly tell she's the same person." Terra says

"Who are you?" Fairy Godmother asks turning to the two men

"Terra."

"Ducar."

"Terra, Ducar, in your heart, do you believe that dreams can come true?" Fairy Godmother asks

"I do. But I also believe you have to make an effort to make them come true." Terra says

"I do too. But I know to make dreams come true is not an easy task. I believe that you have to overcome many challenges in order to see them come into fruition." Ducar says

"Yes, of course. But sometimes just believing in dreams is easier said than done. Cinderella believes her dreams can come true. I wanted her to see that she is right." Fairy Godmother says

"So that's what made her shine. Faith in her heart that anything is possible. Where did she go?" Terra says

"To the royal ball at the palace. Go. And when you see her dancing... you'll know that she believes, and that will help you both to believe, too." Fairy Godmother says

"Right. Thank you." Ducar says bowing before the Fairy Godmother with Terra

Having said farewell to the Fairy Godmother, Terra and Ducar began making their way toward the palace. When they reach the palace courtyard, the two men saw Cinderella was under attack by a group of Flood Unversed.

"Not here too!" Terra says

"Get away from her!" Ducar yells

The two men quickly summoned their Keyblades into their hands and rushed to Cinderella's aid. They quickly dispatched the Unversed with some quick slashes from their Keyblades. Cinderella opened her eyes and saw Terra and Ducar standing infront of them.

"I've met you before..." Cinderella says

"This is troubling. If the Unversed were here at the palace, there might be more lurking inside." Ducar says

"We'll take care of them. You wait right here." Terra says

"Please, may I go with you? I so want to get to the ball." Cinderella asks

Terra and Ducar look at each other, then look back at Cinderella.

"All right. But stay behind us or you'll get hurt." Terra says

Cinderella nods in understanding.

"You're not worried?" Terra asks

"Didn't you tell me it was important to stay strong?" Cinderella asks

"Heh. She's got a point there, Terra. You did say that." Ducar says

"Oh... um, I guess I did." Terra says

Cinderella chuckles a bit.

"So... you ready?" Terra asks

"Yes." Cinderella says

"Alright. Then, let's get moving." Ducar says

With that said, the trio began their entry into the palace. As they came into the corridor, they were already met with a group of Unversed consiting of Flood, Scrappers, and a Bruiser. Terra and Ducar immediately stood infront of Cinderella, protecting her from the Unversed.

Two Flood leap at the trio with their claws ready, but Terra and Ducar both strike down the Unversed with a swing of their Keyblades. Three Scrappers charge at the trio to try and slash them with their claws. Terra strikes down two of the Scrappers with an uppercut and a right slash while Ducar kicks the third Scrapper into the air with a rising kick using his right-foot. He then leaps up into the air with a somersault and swings his Keyblade down on the Scrapper, slicing it vertically in half with a downward slash.

With the Flood and Scrappers taken care of, all that was left standing was the Bruiser. The large, bottom-heavy Unversed charged at the trio with it's belly glowing in an attempt to ram into them, but Ducar knocks the Bruiser back with a jumping kick to it's head. Afterwards, Ducar lunges his Keyblade into the Bruiser's belly which hardly fazed it. The Bruiser tried to hit Ducar with a one-two punch, but he ducks down, avoiding the two punches. Ducar swings his Keyblade left and right three times at the Bruiser's belly and follows up with a downward slash and an uppercut. He then kicks the Unversed in the belly with his left-foot and strikes with a spinning attack. The attacks from Ducar made the Bruiser stagger back a bit. Ducar throws his Keyblade at the Unversed with a diagonal toss. The Keyblade slices through the Bruiser's belly, then returns like a boomerang, slicing through the Bruiser's back, effectively taking it out. Once the corridor was clear of Unversed, Terra and Ducar escorted Cinderella to the door leading to the foyer.

The trio proceeded into the foyer and encountered three Bruisers at the foot of the staircase. Terra charges at the Bruiser in the center, propelling himself forward and swings his Keyblade with left-uppercut, striking the Bruiser's belly. He follows up with a left and right slash, then cleaves his Keyblade down on the Bruiser, sending it into oblivion. One of the Bruisers tries to smack Terra with it's hands, but Ducar jumps in and knocks it back with a karate kick to it's head. Ducar delivers multiple kicks to the Bruiser's head, then sends it back with a roundhouse kick using his right-foot. He then swings his Keyblade left and right at the Bruiser striking it's belly four times, then finishes it with a roundhouse slash. Terra strikes the remaining Bruiser with a spinning slash, then hits it with two more spinning slashes followed by a powerful overhead strike which defeats the Unversed.

After dealing with the Bruisers, Terra and Ducar escort Cinderella up the staircase. When they reach the top, a Scrapper and two Flood Unversed emerge from the shadows to try and stop them. Ducar swings his Keyblade left and right at the two Flood, taking them both out with one hit each, then delivers a powerful downward slash to the Scrapper, slicing it in half. Once the pesky Unversed were quickly dealt with, the trio continued moving up the staircase. As they came up to the top of the foyer staircase, the trio was surrounded by a group of Flood Unversed. Terra and Ducar both leap into the air and plunge their Keyblades into the ground, creating a white shockwave which destroys the Unversed.

After fighting their way through the Unversed, Terra, Ducar, and Cinderella made it to the ballroom.

"Oh, thank you... um..." Cinderella says

"Terra."

"Ducar."

"Thank you, Terra. And thank you, Ducar." Cinderella says

Terra and Ducar both bow to Cinderella and gesture her to the ballroom, making her laugh slightly. Cinderella walks into the ballroom and meets Prince Charming. He bows to Cinderella in greeting and she bows back. The two walk into the center of the ballroom and dance.

"Maybe believing is enough." Terra says

"Seeing as how Cinderella is dancing happily as she is, I'm sure it must be enough." Ducar says

While Cinderella danced with Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, and Drizella who was also at the ball grew jealous upon seeing this.

"But who is she, Mother?" Anastasia asks

"Do we know her?" Drizella asks

"Well, the Prince certaintly seems to. I've never seen her before." Anastasia says

"Nor I. But she certainly is... Wait! There is something familiar about her." Lady Tremaine says

Terra and Ducar both smiled at the happy moment Cinderella was enjoying and were just about to leave her to it, but then they saw some Flood Unversed up on a balcony on the right-side of the ballroom.

"Unversed!" Terra exclaims

"Tell us. How do we get up there?" Ducar asks

"Well, there is a passageway beneath the foyer staircase." The Grand Duke says

"Thanks." Ducar says

Terra and Ducar both headed down the foyer staircase and headed through the passageway which would take them up to the balcony. Proceeding through the passageway, the two men entered the antechamber and came out onto the ballroom balcony. They soon encountered a large, humanoid Unversed which resembled a marching band conductor. This Unversed was known as Symphony Master. With a wave of it's lightning bolt-shaped baton, the Unversed summoned a trumpet, a violin, and a drum making them appear in a flash of darkness. Then, the Symphony Master made the three possessed instruments play with it's baton, creating glowing, red musical notes which made Terra and Ducar grunt in pain. Then, there was a large explosion of energy on the balcony where the two men once stood. The Symphony Master looked on believing it had destroyed the two Keyblade Wielders. Suddenly, the Unversed heard Terra and Ducar's voices shouting at it.

"Hey!" Ducar shouts

"Down here!" Terra shouts

The Symphony Master turned around and saw Terra and Ducar pointing their Keyblades at it.

"Guards! Guards! Ooh, where could they possibly be?" The Grand Duke says

"We'll take care of this." Terra says

"Get yourselves to safety." Ducar says

Cinderella, Prince Charming, and the Grand Duke nodded in acknowledgement, knowing that it was best to let Terra and Ducar deal with the Unversed. Prince Charming escorted Cinderella out of the ballroom with the Grand Duke following close behind while Terra and Ducar stayed to fight the Symphony Master.

The Symphony Master struck first by making the drum charge at the two Keyblade Wielders. Terra and Ducar both jumped over to the sides, making the drum miss. Next, the Symphony Master made the trumpet blast sound waves at the two men. Again, Terra and Ducar dodge the attack by leaping to the sides. Then, the Symphony Master made the violin blast musical notes at the two men. Once again, Terra and Ducar leap away, dodging the musical notes.

Terra aims his Keyblade at the Unversed and launches small, star-like projectiles from the tip of his Keyblade. Each of the projectiles land a hit on the Symphony Master in numerous places. Ducar rushes at the Symphony Master and strikes the Unversed with his Keyblade, performing charging attacks with lightning speed.

The Symphony Master elongates it's baton and throws it at Terra like a boomerang. Terra quickly leapt out of the way of the baton, making it miss. Having failed to hit Terra, the Symphony Master focuses it's attention at Ducar. The Unversed separates its baton into smaller batons and throws them at Ducar who deflected them with his Keyblade.

Terra rushes forward at the Unversed, leaps up, and strikes it with some powerful blows, swinging his Keyblade with an uppercut, a right-slash, a left-slash, two spinning slashes, and a downward slash. Ducar leaps up at the Unversed with a somersault and swings his Keyblade at it, attacking with a downward slash, an rising uppercut, three left and right slashes, and a spinning overhead strike.

The Symphony Master leaps into the air and tries to smash the two men into the ground, but they jump back to avoid being crushed by the Unversed. The Unversed slams into the ground, creating a shockwave as it lands. Fortunately, Terra and Ducar were safely away for the shockwave to reach them. Terra and Ducar both leap up at the Unversed and strike it with a powerful blow. The Unversed staggered back after recieving the combined strike from the two Keyblade Wielder's and it's hat fell off. Seeing that the Unversed was left stunned, Terra and Ducar saw an opportunity to end the fight once and for all.

Terra and Ducar both rush forward at the Symphony Master and slice through the Unversed with a lightning fast, devastating strike. The Symphony Master began to shine brightly and it soon vanishes in a flash of light.

Once the Symphony Master was defeated, the Grand Duke returned to the ballroom with Prince Charming and Cinderella. The Grand Duke approached Terra and Ducar to give them his sincerest thanks.

"Thank you. Both of you. You saved us all. The guests were just starting to enjoy themselves..." The Grand Duke says

"Well, don't give up just yet." Terra says

"I'm sure they're doing just fine." Ducar says

The three men looked over to Prince Charming and Cinderella to see them looking at each other, holding each other's hand.

"Tell me something. Have you always had a problem around here with those monsters?" Terra asks

"No. I believe... they began to appear shortly after a boy in a mask and a tall figure wearing a black cloak arrived in our kingdom. Those that saw them said the monsters obeyed their every command." The Grand Duke

"A boy in a mask?" Terra asks

"A tall figure in a black cloak?" Ducar asks

"Do you know where they are now?" Terra asks

"Well... No, I don't believe anyone has seen them since then." The Grand Duke says

"I see." Terra says

"Right." Ducar says

Suddenly, a bell toll rings throughout the palace.

"Oh... My goodness! It's midnight!" Cinderella exclaims

"Yes, so it is, but why-" Prince Charming says

"Good-bye!" Cinderella says

Cinderella quickly made her way through the ballroom, trying to head out of the palace before the spell wore off.

"Wait! Come back! Please come back!" Prince Charming says

"I'm sorry." Cinderella apologizes

Cinderella began making her way down the foyer staircase. As she headed down, one of her glass slippers came off. Cinderella was about to head back for it, but she saw the Grand Duke trying to catch up with her. She was left with no choice but to leave without it.

"Mademoiselle! Senorita! Wait!" The Grand Duke calls

The Grand Duke picked up the glass slipper and continued to chase Cinderella. Around the same time, Shara and Aqua walk into the palace, entering the foyer. Terra and Ducar walked into the foyer and saw Aqua and Shara at the bottom of the staircase.

"Aqua!" Terra calls

"Shara!" Ducar calls

The two female Keyblade Masters looked up and saw Terra and Ducar up at the top of the staircase.

"Terra!" Aqua exclaims

"Ducar!" Shara exclaims

Terra and Ducar quickly made their way down the staircase and met the two women.

"Terra, Ducar, Ven ran away from home." Aqua says

"What?" Terra and Ducar ask in slight shock

"We think he left to go find you two." Aqua says

"Do you have any idea why?" Shara asks

"No... Actually... Just before we left, he tried to tell us something." Terra says

"We should have listened to what he had to say." Ducar says

"Oh..." Aqua says

"So, did you manage to locate Master Xehanort?" Shara asks

"No, but it seems he's looking for pure hearts filled with light." Ducar says

"Pure hearts... filled with light..." Aqua says

"We don't know why." Ducar says

"All we can say is that his search hasn't taken him here." Terra says

"Most likely, he's in some other world." Ducar says

"All right. We'll stay and see if we can find more clues." Aqua says

"Okay. The Prince is in the ballroom ahead. He might have some answers." Terra says

"Thanks." Aqua says

Just before they decided to leave, Terra and Ducar turned around to look at Aqua and Shara.

"Aqua. Shara." Terra says

The two women turned around to face the two men.

"Do you both still share the same dream?" Terra asks

"The one we all share?" Ducar asks

"Well... yes." Aqua says

"Why do you ask?" Shara asks

"There's this girl here. Her name is Cinderella. She made us realize how powerful it is just to believe. No matter how impossible things seem, a powerful enough dream will always be enough to light the darkness. If you see her, give her our thanks." Terra says

"Will do." Aqua says

Terra and Ducar both turned around to take their leave. Just before he left, Shara calls out to her husband.

"Ducar!" Shara calls

While Terra continued walking toward the door leading out of the palace, Ducar stopped and turned to look at his wife.

"Be careful." Shara says

Ducar saw the look of concern in Shara's eyes and he gave her a slight smile and a nod. He then went on to catch up with Terra before he'd lose him. While the two men walked out of the palace, they both had questions which probed their minds.

"The boy in the mask who was leading the Unversed... Who is he? Does he have anything to do with Master Xehanort's disappearance?" Terra asks

"I'm not sure. And what troubles me is this figure wearing a black cloak. I can only imagine it must be Lord Thanatos. Master Eraqus said he first received word of these events from The Inheritor. Maybe it's time we went and spoke with him." Ducar says

"Right." Terra says

Aqua and Shara watched as Terra and Ducar left the palace filled with some slight hope in their hearts.

"He'll be all right. He won't give in to it." Aqua says

"C'mon. Let's go meet with the Prince." Shara says

Aqua nods in agreement and the two women head up the foyer staircase to the ballroom. Just as they enter, they pass Lady Tremaine and her two daughters. As they did, Shara and Aqua sensed that there was darkness in their hearts. The two Keyblade Masters then saw the Grand Duke run past them with Cinderella's glass slipper in his hand.

"Excuse us. Who are those ladies?" Shara asks

"Oh, er, if I recall correctly, that is Lady Tremaine and those are her daughters." The Grand Duke says

"There was something very wrong about them." Aqua says

"I felt it too." Shara says

"You came back!" Prince Charming exclaims

Shara and Aqua turned to look at Prince Charming who quickly realized his mistake.

"Oh, My apologies. I was mistaken." Prince Charming says

"Your Highness, I found this on the palace staircase." The Grand Duke says

"A glass slipper?" Prince Charming asks

"One dropped by a lovely young lady, and I'll search far and wide to find the maiden to whom this belongs." The Grand Duke says

"You will?" Prince Charming asks

"Of course, Your Highness. After all, you have finally found someone whom you wish to marry. Upon hearing that news, your father, the king, has decreed that a quest shall begin immediately throughout the kingdom. And I will start with the closest residence, that of Lady Tremaine." The Grand Duke says

With that said, the Grand Duke left the ballroom with the glass slipper and set off to Lady Tremaine's manor while Shara and Aqua watched him go.

"Lady Tremaine... We'd better pay her a visit." Aqua says

"Agreed." Shara says

( _Moments later_ )

The two Keyblade Masters left the palace and began heading down the path to Lady Tremaine's manor. Once they got there, they heard voices inside through the front door.

"You honor our humble home, m'lord." Lady Tremaine says

"Quite so." The Grand Duke says

"May I present my daughters, Drizella and Anastasia." Lady Tremaine says

"It's as we feared. There is darkness here." Aqua says

Shara and Aqua both summoned their Keyblades into their hands and was just about to step into the chateau when a voice calls out to them.

"Wait! It's dangerous to fight the darkness with light, my dears." A female voice says

Shara and Aqua both turned around upon hearing the voice. The voice belonged to the Fairy Godmother who appeared down at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the front door of the chateau.

"Who are you?" Aqua asks

"Cinderella's Fairy Godmother. I appear to those who believe that dreams come true."

"We're honored. But why would you advise us not to fight darkness with light?" Shara asks

"Strong rays of sun create dark shadows. Sadly, Lady Tremaine and both her daughters are jealous of Cinderella's charm and beauty, qualities that appear to you as light. Jealousy is darkness. Light and dark go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other." Fairy Godmother says

"Then, what should we do?" Aqua asks

"It's quite simple, dears. One of Cinderella's friends is trying very hard to keep her light from fading. I want you both to join little Jaq and help him." Fairy Godmother says

Shara and Aqua look at each other, then look back at the Fairy Godmother.

"We can do that." Shara says

"You'll need a bit of my magic if you are to help Jaq." Fairy Godmother says

The Fairy Godmother tapped her wand on her hand to make sure her magic was still working and then waved her wand, chanting a spell.

"Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!" Fairy Godmother says waving her wand

A magical wisp of light swirled around Shara and Aqua and in a flash of light, they were transported into the manor. Now inside the chateau, Shara and Aqua were both shrunken down to the size of a mouse. The two women saw Jaq hefting a large room key over his shoulder across the room.

"Are you okay?" Aqua asks

"Cinderella's stepmother locked her in her room. I've gotta let her out! I've gotta save Cinderella!" Jaq says

Shara and Aqua both summoned their Keyblades into their hands.

"Here. Let us help you." Shara says

"Oh, thank you." Jaq says

Jaq looks back at the two women and he saw their Keyblades, recognizing that Ventus had one too.

"Ooh! That's like Ven's! Did you ever meet Ven?" Jaq says

Aqua and Shara gasped slightly upon hearing Ventus' name.

"I'm Aqua."

"And I'm Shara, but tell us how you know about Ven."

"We're friends! Good friends! Ven helped me fix Cinderella's dress." Jaq says

"And where is he now?" Aqua asks

"He's looking for friends. Other friends." Jaq says

"Oh..." Shara says

"I see... Ven... you must've just missed them." Aqua says

The trio heard Drizella's voice as she tried on the glass slipper outside.

"I can't understand why... It always fit perfectly before." Drizella says

"Quite enough of this. The next young lady. Please..." The Grand Duke says

"Oh no. Hear that!? We've gotta hurry! Cinderella's gotta try that slipper. Come on, come on, hurry!" Jaq says

Suddenly, a group of Flood Unversed emerged from the shadows infront of Jaq.

"Ah! No, no, no! Gotta hurry!" Jaq says

Aqua and Shara quickly stood infront of Jaq, protecting him from the Unversed.

"It's alright. Leave it to us." Aqua says

"Stay right behind us, Jaq! Don't lose that key!" Shara says

Two of the Flood Unversed try to attack Jaq, leaping toward him with their claws, but Shara and Aqua strike down the two Unversed with a swing of their Keyblades. Aqua raises her Keyblade into the air, summoning lightning bolts which strikes down on three Flood. Shara throws her Keyblade at two Flood, slicing through them both. The Keybade comes back around and slices through two more Flood before returning to Shara's hand.

Shara and Aqua escorted Jaq across the room toward the mouse hole. Just when they were about to reach it, another group of Unversed appeared before them. These Unversed were more Flood, Scrappers, and a Bruiser.

One Flood leaps at the trio for an attack, but Shara slices it in half with a rising uppercut. She then brought her Keyblade down on another Flood with a downward slash. A Scrapper charges at Aqua for an attack. Aqua takes her Keyblade and thrusts it forward at the Unversed, making it disintegrate. She then aims her Keyblade at another Scrapper and launches a fireball at it, blasting it into oblivion. Afterwards, she launches a chunk of ice from the tip of her Keyblade at another Scrapper. The Bruiser charges at the trio with it's glowing belly in an attempt to ram into them. Shara rushes forward at the Unversed while cloaked in a barrier and smashes into it. Upon impact, the barrier bursts in a splash of light, destroying the Bruiser right on the spot.

Shara and Aqua continued to escort Jaq to the mouse hole. Just as they reach it, a group of Flood Unversed emerged from the shadows infront of them. Shara and Aqua both raise their Keyblades into the air, summoning a spherical shield of light which explodes in a flash of light, disintegrating the Unversed.

After the Unversed were dealt with, Jaq had a clear path to the nearby mouse hole.

"Thanks, Aqua! Thanks, Shara!" Jaq says

Jaq proceeded into the mouse hole and went to go save Cinderella. Aqua and Shara went into the mouse hole and out into the entrance hall where the Grand Duke finished trying on the glass slipper on both Anastasia and Drizella.

"You're the only ladies here?" The Grand Duke asks

"There's no one else, Your Grace." Lady Tremaine says

Shara and Aqua stood at the top of the banister.

"C'mon, Jaq... Hurry!" Aqua says

The Grand Duke turned around as he prepared to leave. Shara and Aqua looked at each other and decided they had to stall the Grand Duke until Cinderella came out. But before they could do anything, the two women grew back to normal size and they both fall to the floor.

"Say something. We've got to distract him until Cinderella comes out." Shara whispers

"Oh... Would it... would it be alright if we tried on the glass slipper?" Aqua asks

"Hmm... I met you both at the palace. Unfortunately, you are not the young lady the Prince is looking for." The Grand Duke says

"True, but shouldn't we at least be given a chance to try it on?" Shara asks

"Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?" Lady Tremaine asks

"They're probably here to rob us!" Drizella says

"Mother, do something!" Anastasia says

"These girls do not live here. I have only two daughters. I believe we're finished here, Your Grace." Lady Tremaine says

"Regardless... they don't mean any harm." The Grand Duke says

The Grand Duke walks over to Shara and Aqua and holds the glass slipper before them.

"Here you are, my dears." The Grand Duke says

Shara and Aqua look at each other awkwardly, then look up at the top of the staircase, hoping that Cinderella would come out eventually.

"Jaq... Hurry!" Aqua mutters

Soon enough, Cinderella came out from her room.

"Your Grace... Please wait. May I try it on?" Cinderella says

Cinderella began heading down the stairs while Lady Tremaine approaches the Grand Duke.

"Pay no attention to her. She's just an imaginative child." Lady Tremaine says

"Madam, my orders were every maiden." The Grand Duke says

"You should let her go first." Aqua says

"Yeah. I feel she should be the one to try the slipper first." Shara says

Shara and Aqua walked over to the staircase to meet Cinderella at the bottom of the staircase. Cinderella took a seat in a chair which was set for her.

"I actually want to thank you, for teaching Terra he needs to keep believing." Aqua says

"I'd also like to thank you, for teaching my husband, Ducar, to keep believing too." Shara says

Cinderella looked at the two Keyblade Masters concerned as to what they said. As the Grand Duke approached Cinderella with the glass slipper, Lady Tremaine secretly tripped him with her foot. The Grand Duke fell over onto the floor and the glass slipper shattered into pieces.

"Oh, what will I do?" The Grand Duke says feeling upset

Lady Tremaine held a sinister grin on her face as Cinderella would forever remain her servant.

"Oh please, don't worry. You see, I have the other slipper." Cinderella says taking out the other slipper

Lady Tremaine's eyes widened with shock while the Grand Duke was very relieved. The Grand Duke slips the glass slipper onto Cinderella's foot and sure enough it was a perfect fit.

"A perfect fit. I must inform the Prince immediately! You will come with me, of course." The Grand Duke says

"I'd be happy to." Cinderella says

With that said, Cinderella headed out with the Grand Duke to meet Prince Charming at the palace. Lady Tremaine, Drizella, and Anastasia grew even more jealous upon seeing this.

"It's not fair. She's a scullery maid!" Drizella says

"Mother! Are you just going to let them leave?" Anastasia asks

"No... Cinderella will be put in her place." Lady Tremaine says

( _Moments later_ )

Shara and Aqua were standing outside Lady Tremaine's chateau when they both heard Cinderella's scream coming from the gardens. They then saw the Grand Duke running toward them in a panic.

"What happened? Where is Cinderella?" Aqua asks

"Sh-she was attacked by a creature... a monster in the forest..." The Grand Duke says

Aqua and Shara looked at each other.

"A monster?" Aqua asks

"More likely Unversed. Come on!" Shara says

The two Keyblade Master quickly ran off toward the forest and found Cinderella laying on the ground. Lady Tremaine and her two daughters laughed maniacally with a large Unversed standing infront of them. This Unversed was known as Cursed Coach. The Unversed launched a storm of pumpkin bombs down on the garden toward Cinderella. but Shara and Aqua rushed over to Cinderella and covered her body, protecting her from the bombs.

"This is what happens when you go against my wishes!" Lady Tremaine says

Suddenly, Lady Tremaine and her two daughters were hit by one of the Cursed Coach's bombs and were blown away out of the forest.

"The darkness in their hearts overtook them." Aqua says

Aqua and Shara helped Cinderella onto her feet.

"Go. Get far away from here." Shara says

Cinderella nods in acknowledgement and headed out of the forest while Aqua and Shara stayed and fought the Cursed Coach.

The Cursed Coach attacked first by spinning toward Shara and Aqua in an attempt to hit them with it's vines. Shara and Aqua both cartwheeled out of the way before the Unversed could hit them. The Cursed Coach came back around and tried to hit the two women again, but they move out of the way to avoid being hit. The Cursed Coach hovers into the air using it's wheels and shoots pumpkin bombs from it's head at the two Keyblade Masters. Shara raised her Keyblade into the air and a blue light shined from the tip of her Keyblade, creating a blue spherical barrier of light which protected her and Aqua from the bombs.

As soon as the shield disappears, Aqua launches three fireballs from the tip of her Keyblade at the Cursed Coach. Each of the fireballs land a direct hit to the Unversed and explode upon impact. Next, Aqua launches three chunks of ice from her Keyblade at the Cursed Coach. Each of the ice chunks land a hit at the Unversed. Then, Aqua hits the Cursed Coach with a blast of lightning shot from the tip of her Keyblade. Shara held her Keyblade vertically up to her face with her eyes closed. She soon opened her eyes which briefly flashed a blue light and her body began to glow with a bright blue aura. Using the power of telekinesis, Shara hurls her Keyblade at the Cursed Coach four times. Then, she launches an orb of light from the tip of her Keyblade at the Unversed. Upon impact, the orb explodes in a flash of light, making the Cursed Coach stagger backwards a bit.

The Cursed Coach bounces off the ground using it's wheels as springs and tries to smash down on Shara and Aqua, but they both jump back to avoid being crushed by the large Unversed. Then, the Cursed Coach opens it's wide, crooked maw to try and suck them in. Shara and Aqua both drived their Keyblades into the ground to avoid being sucked toward the Unversed.

Aqua throws her Keyblade at the Cursed Coach as it was enveloped in flames. The Keyblade lands a direct hit to the Unversed and engulfs it in flames. Next, Aqua throws her Keyblade at the Cursed Coach as it was enveloped in ice. The Keyblade hits the Unversed and freezes it in a block of ice. The Cursed Coach was frozen for a brief moment before it soon broke free from the ice. Then, Aqua throws her Keyblade at the Cursed Coach as it was enveloped with electricity. The Keyblade lands a direct hit to the Unversed and electrifies it. Shara aims her Keyblade at the Cursed Coach and launches a volley of light blasts at it. Each of the light blasts hits the Unversed in numerous places, detonating in small explosions of light.

The Cursed Coach tried to slam it's vines down on the two Keyblade Masters, but Shara holds her Keyblade up, creating a spherical barrier of light which shields them from the attack. As soon as the vines make contact with the light barrier, it explodes in a flash of light, leaving the Cursed Coach stunned. Then, Shara strikes the Unversed with a rising uppercut, causing the Cursed Coach to flip over on it's back. Aqua attacks the Unversed with three jumping strikes, swinging her Keyblade over her head. Shara leaps up into the air with a somersault and dives down onto the belly of the Unversed with a magical spinning attack. The Cursed Coach quickly regained its senses and began flailing about wildly while projecting a dark aura in hopes of hitting the two women. Shara and Aqua both jumped back to avoid being hit by the vines of the Unversed.

Aqua aims her Keyblade at the Cursed Coach and launches multiple bubbles at the Unversed. Each of the bubbles hit the Unversed in numerous places and they each pop in a splash of light. This left the Cursed Coach dazed and weakened. Shara rushes at the Cursed Coach and flies toward it while her entire body was enveloped with light. She flies straight into the mouth of the Unversed and shoots out from it's back. The Cursed Coach began shine brightly and it soon vanishes in a flash of light.

( _Moments later_ )

After the battle with the Unversed, Shara and Aqua headed to the palace where Cinderella reunited with Prince Charming. The two Keyblade Masters sat near the fountain in the palace courtyard watching the happy moment. As they sat there, the Fairy Godmother appears before them.

"A pure heart filled with light. It's strange, Master Eraqus taught us darkness needs to be destroyed. But how, if not with light?" Aqua says

"Oh, my dear, you're too young to know. Experience more things and you'll find the answer. Just trust in your dreams." Fairy Godmother says

Aqua and Shara looked at each other, then looked back at Cinderella, feeling happy for the moment they were having.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Time to head for the ball at the Castle of Dreams. Here, Ventus helps Jaq fix Cinderella's dress for the royal ball. Afterwards, Terra and Ducar arrive and try to help Cinderella stay strong. They soon meet the Fairy Godmother who helps Cinderella make her dream come true. Then, Aqua and Shara arrive to help keep Cinderella's light from fading away. Here, the heroes learn about the importance of dreams and helps them to believe that their dream might just come true. And since I found a good voice reference for Shara, I've also found another good voice reference for Ducar. Ducar is now voiced by Sean Douglas, the voice of Jacob Hendricks from _Call of Duty: Black Ops 3_. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	23. The Dwarf Woodlands

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _Dwarf Woodlands_ )

Terra and Ducar both arrive in the Dwarf Woodlands and found themselves in a castle. They saw the evil Queen head into her chamber room and decided to investigate. Inside, the queen approaches the Magic Mirror.

"Slave in the Magic Mirror, come from the farthest space. Through wind and darkness, I summon thee. Speak!" The Queen says

Flames erupt within the Magic Mirror.

"Let me see thy face." The Queen commands

The spirit of the Magic Mirror appears before the Queen.

"What wouldst thou know, my Queen?" The Magic Mirror asks

"Magic Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?" The Queen asks

"Famed is thy beauty, Majesty, but hold, a lovely maid I see. Alas, she is more fair than thee." The Magic Mirror says

"Alas for her! Reveal her name!" The Queen says

"Lips red as the rose, hair black as ebony, skin white as snow." The Magic Mirror says

The Queen immediately knew very well who the mirror was referring to.

"Snow White!" The Queen exclaims

Terra and Ducar hid behind the corner near the door to the room and overheard the conversation.

"A mirror that knows and sees everything. How about that." Terra says

"The heart of Snow White doth shine bright. Beware, my Queen, a heart of light." The Magic Mirror warns

"Another one?" Ducar asks placing his right-hand on his chin

"Wait. What if Master Xehanort is here?" Terra asks

"Or what if Lord Thanatos is here too?" Ducar asks

The Queen soon hears Terra around the corner of the room and turns to face them.

"Who goes there?" The Queen asks

Knowing they had been discovered, the two men step out and meet the Queen.

"My name is Terra."

"And I'm Ducar. We're looking for a man named Xehanort. Master Xehanort. We thought maybe you might have seen him." Terra says

"That name is of no consequence to me." The Queen says

Having heard that, the two men began to take their leave. But just before they did, the Queen stops them.

"Wait. Ahh yes... I have a task for you. If you succeed, I will ask the mirror where you might find this Master Xehanort." The Queen says

"And the mirror will know?" Terra asks

"Do you dare to question me?" The Queen asks

Terra and Ducar both look at each other, unsure what to make of the Queen's intentions. They soon decided to take on the task, knowing that they might regret it.

"What is the task?" Terra asks

The Queen smiles upon hearing this.

"There is a young maiden who resides in this castle. Her name is Snow White. Kill her. And to ensure you don't fail, bring back her heart in this." The Queen says

The Queen holds out a red small chest to the two men. Terra takes the chest and the two men look down at it.

"Her heart? We don't understand. You're after the hearts of light too?" Terra asks

"What I demand is her life. I've had more than enough of her light." The Queen says

"What did this maiden do to you?" Ducar asks

"That is no concern of yours. Now, heed my words. My radiance is all the light this kingdom needs." The Queen says

"Where can we find her?" Terra asks

"Outside the castle, there is a glade of wildflowers. You are dismissed. Go now and seek her there." The Queen says

Terra and Ducar take their leave and began walking through the hallways of the castle.

"A heart of light." Ducar says

"This Snow White is our best chance right now. Maybe she will lead us closer to Master Xehanort." Terra says

"Right. But I think the real question is, can we really go through with this? This Queen wants us to commit murder. To take away the life of another. If that doesn't tell me her heart is full of darkness, I don't know what will. Remember what we did back in Maleficent's world?" Ducar says

The two men remembered full well what happened back in The Enchanted Dominion where Maleficent hypnotized them into extracting Princess Aurora's heart.

"No. I won't let that happen." Terra says

"Neither will I. I think it's best we'd go ask this Snow White of Master Xehanort rather than just kill her on the spot. Hopefully she'll have some answers." Ducar says

Terra nods in agreement and the two men continue out of the castle. They soon found Snow White in the Flower Garden just as the Queen said she would be. Snow White was picking flowers and humming to herself.

"I wonder if that's her." Terra says

"I'm sure that must be Snow White. This is where the Queen said she would be." Ducar says

Terra and Ducar both approach Snow White who notices them standing behind her. Surprisingly, she wasn't scared by their sudden appearance.

"Oh, hello. Who are you?" Snow White asks

"Aren't you startled?" Terra asks

"Should I be?" Snow White asks

 _"Just as I thought. She's a Princess of Heart."_ Ducar thought to himself

 _"It's true, then. Her heart is pure light. She's the one."_ Terra thought to himself

"Is something the matter?" Snow White asks

"Does the name Xehanort mean anything to you?" Terra asks

"Why... why no. I don't think I ever heard that name before." Snow White says

Terra looks at Ducar.

"Now what?" Terra asks

Suddenly, the Unversed appear and attack. Terra and Ducar immediately summoned their Keyblades and got into battle stance.

"Unversed!" Ducar exclaims

Snow White becomes frightened by the sight of the Unversed and runs off into the woods.

"Hey! Wait! Don't go in there alone!" Terra says

The two men try to catch up with Snow White, but the Unversed block their path to the woods.

"Out of my way!" Terra shouts

"Move aside!" Ducar shouts

Terra strikes one Flood with a backhand uppercut, hits another one with a spinning slash, then strikes a third one with a downward slash while performing a somersault. Two Flood leap forward at Terra to attack him at the same time, but he spins around and swings his Keyblade, taking out the two Unversed with a single swipe.

Ducar lunges his Keyblade at one Flood, strikes another one with a rising uppercut while performing a backflip, then hits a third one with an overhead strike. Four Flood try to attack Ducar all at once, but he swings his Keyblade left and right, taking each of them out with one swipe.

Just when they thought it was over, another group of Flood Unversed emerged from the ground and surrounded the two men. Terra and Ducar stood back-to-back and they both spun around swinging their Keyblades at the Unversed.

After dealing with the Unversed, Terra and Ducar run toward the woods and stops at the tree line.

"Lost her." Ducar says

"She said she doesn't know anything about Master Xehanort." Terra says

"That leaves us with just one other option." Ducar says

Terra and Ducar both look back toward the Queen's castle.

"The mirror back at the castle." Ducar says

With that said, the two men head back to the castle. When they return to the Queen's chamber, the Queen was insulted by their failure.

"How dare you return here, you blundering fools?" The Queen says

"What are you talking about?" Terra asks

"I ordered you to bring me Snow White's heart!" The Queen says

Terra and Ducar looked at each other before looking back at the Queen.

"A request we chose to ignore. You know, you claim to be radiant, but all we see are shadows of jealousy, hanging thick on your heart." Terra says

"You will pay for such insolence! Magic Mirror on the wall, consume these fools once and for all!" The Queen says

Terra and Ducar stood ready for whatever was about to happen next. When the mirror does nothing, the Queen turns around to face it.

"Alas, my liege, that I cannot do. I have no power saves answers true." The Magic Mirror says

"You dare defy your Queen?!" The Queen says feeling outraged

Outraged by the Magic Mirror's answer, the Queen throws a bottle of green liquid on it, causing the mirror to suck the two men into it. Terra and Ducar were blinded by a bright light and were absorbed into the Magic Mirror.

Terra and Ducar both found themselves in the mirror world with the spirit of the mirror hovering infront of them. The two men summoned their Keyblades into their hands and got into battle stance as they both prepared to fight for their freedom.

The Magic Mirror sank into the reflective surface and rose up with copies in a path formation. The copies began to shoot fireballs from their mouths, causing Terra and Ducar to run down the path. The copies eventually sank into the reflective surface and the real Magic Mirror rose up infront of the two men.

Terra and Ducar both rushed forward at the Magic Mirror and thrust their Keyblades at it, making the spirit stagger back. They soon followed up with some strong slashes, hitting the spirit even more.

The Magic Mirror flew away from the two Keyblade Wielders and began charging toward them moving from side to side in a frame-by-frame motion, leaving reflections of itself. Terra and Ducar both moved to the sides to avoid being hit by the spirit. Terra and Ducar both try to strike the Magic Mirror with their Keyblades, but the spirit flies up above them. It then dives down spiraling toward them. Reacting quickly, the two men leap out of the way.

Terra strikes the Magic Mirror with a lunging strike, a spinning slash, and an overhead strike. He follows up with a backhand uppercut, a right slash, and a roundhouse slash. Ducar moves up and hits the Magic Mirror with several quick slashes. He swings his Keyblade left and right six times, then finishes with a rapid spinning strike which hits seven times.

The Magic Mirror sank into the reflective surface and rose up with copies in a circle around the two Keyblade Wielders. They soon launched fireballs at the two men, but they both duck down, dodging the fireballs. Terra and Ducar looked around at the copies that surrounded them to try and find the real Magic Mirror. They quickly spotted the one which was smiling and they hurled their Keyblades at the Magic Mirror. The Keyblades land a direct hit to the spirit, making the copies vanish into the reflective surface.

Terra hits the Magic Mirror with a series of jumping attacks, swinging his Keyblade over his head three times, then hits the spirit with a series of charging strikes, thrusting his Keyblade six times at the Magic Mirror. Ducar strikes the Magic Mirror with his Keyblade swinging it left and right four times. He performs a backwards somersault going higher into the air, then slams his Keyblade down on the Magic Mirror, finishing the fight.

In a short battle, the Magic Mirror was defeated and Terra and Ducar were freed from the mirror world. The two men were brought back into the Magic Mirror chamber in a flash of light shocking the Queen.

"How did you escape?!" The Queen asks shockingly

"Now, you will ask the mirror. Where can we find Master Xehanort?" Terra asks

The Queen grunts and turns toward the Magic Mirror.

"Magic Mirror, instruct these knaves! Give them the answer they doth crave!" The Queen says

"Beyond both light and dark he dwells, where war was waged upon the fells." The Magic Mirror says

"Is that all?" Terra asks

The Magic Mirror remains silent.

"I guess so." Ducar says

"Thanks. You've been a big help." Terra says

Having said that, Terra and Ducar take their leave.

( _Moments later_ )

Shortly after Terra and Ducar's arrival, Ventus arrives in the Dwarf Woodlands on a mountain trail where he saw the seven dwarves: Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Sneezy, Bashful, and Dopey going to work in the mines. Ventus follows them inside and saw the dwarves working. While inspecting a diamond, Doc soon notices Ventus.

"Huh? Who are you?" Doc asks

"I'm Ventus. Call me Ven."

"A diamond thief! Take cover, ya fools!" Grumpy says

The seven dwarves scattered and ran away from Ventus, keeping a good distance away from him. Dopey clumsily ran into a nearby wall and fell backwards.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you." Ventus apologizes

"You didn't?" Happy asks

"You mean you're not here for our diamonds?" Sleepy asks

"That's not nice, treating me like some kind of bad guy. I'm just trying to find some friends. Their name is Terra and Ducar. They're dressed kind of like me. About yay tall-" Ventus says

"Sounds like a tall tale to me! Go on! Git!" Grumpy says

"We don't know any Terra or Ducar." Bashful says

"Please. Could you come over here. I just want to talk." Ventus says

"Don't fall for it! Stay where ya are!" Grumpy says

"All right. Then we'll do this the hard way." Ventus says

Ventus chases after the dwarves as they head deeper into the mines. Looking around, Ventus saw some crates lying around in the mine and ore cars sitting on tracks. Just as he was about to begin his search for the dwarves, Ventus saw one of the crates move. Ventus went over and lifted up the crate, revealing Happy underneath it. Looking off in another direction, Ventus caught sight of Bashful hiding in an ore car. Walking over to the car, Ventus looked down into it and saw Bashful inside. Moving further into the mine, Ventus saw another crate move on it's own. Picking it up, he found Doc underneath it. Shortly after finding Doc, Ventus heard snoring coming from one of the other crates. Ventus pinpointed the source of the snoring and found Sleepy underneath one of the crates. Continuing further into the mine, Ventus saw one crate charge toward him aggressively. Reacting quickly, Ventus rolled out of the way to avoid being hit. The crate smashed into the nearby rock wall and broke into pieces revealing Grumpy. After finding Grumpy, Ventus heard a loud sneeze and saw one of the crates jump up from the ground. Ventus lifted up the crate and found the last dwarf, Sneezy.

After finding all the dwarves, Ventus confronts them.

"Come on. I'm telling you. I'm no thief." Ventus says

"Ha, that's what they all say. Well, we're onto ya!" Grumpy says

"Fine. I get it. You want me to leave, I'll leave." Ventus says

Ventus turned around and started walking out of the mine. He soon stops and asks the dwarves a question.

"Oh but, can you tell me where I can find some other people around here?" Ventus asks

"There's a castle beyond the chorus-I mean, the forest." Doc says

"Got it. Well, thanks." Ventus says

Having said that, Ventus takes his leave of the mine and heads into the forest. After traversing through the forest, Ventus comes across a small cottage. He walks up to the window and peers into it.

"This must be where those little men live." Ventus says

Suddenly, Ventus heard a scream coming from the woods. He turns, looks around, and turns his attention toward the woods.

"There!" Ventus says

Ventus runs into the woods and finds Snow White on the ground crying.

"What's wrong?" Ventus asks

"These horrible trees. They tried to grab me." Snow White says

Ventus held out his right-hand to Snow White and helps her up.

"It's okay. You were probably just seeing things. It happens to all of us when we're afraid." Ventus says

"Oh, thank you. I feel quite better now. I'm sure I'll get along, somehow. But... I do need a place to sleep at night. Would you know anywhere I might?" Snow White says

"Well, I saw a house just up ahead. Come on, I'll take you there. Oh, I'm Ventus. Ven for short."

"Thank you, Ven. My name's Snow White."

"Great. Let's get going!" Ventus says

Ventus escorts Snow White through the woods and brings her to the cottage.

"I'm pretty sure you'll be safe here. But sit tight while I look around." Ventus says

With that said, Ventus leaves to scout the area. Snow White heads upstairs to rest when the Dwarfs return from their work. Doc heads upstairs and saw Snow White resting inside.

"Someone's asleep in here!" Doc exclaims

( _Moments later_ )

Ventus returns to the cottage after scouting the area.

"The coast is clear. Not a monster in sight." Ventus says

Ventus quickly notices the seven dwarves with Snow White.

"Huh?!" Ventus says surprised

"Couldn't stay away, couldja? An' who invited you here, you rotten thief?" Grumpy says

"Oh no. He's no thief. He rescued me." Snow White says

"You fussn't be mooled-uh, mustn't be fooled, princess." Doc says

"Just go on an' git!" Grumpy says

"Please don't send him away. You see, he helped me when I was lost, and oh, so very frightened." Snow White says

"What happened?" Ventus asks

"Well, I was picking flowers by the woods, and there was these two strangers there. They both had a sword, but it was like a key, and then these monsters came and-"

"A sword like a key..." Ventus says

Ventus immediately knew that Snow White was referring to the Keyblade which meant that she must've seen Terra and Ducar.

"Terra! Ducar!" Ventus exclaims

"You mean these strangers saw ya and set their horde of evil demons after ya?" Doc asks

"Terra and Ducar would never do that!" Ventus says

"Oh, of course. I'm sure they wouldn't. Not if they're someone who's your friend." Snow White says

"Princess! You trustn't be so musting-er, trusting." Doc says

"He's a-lyin'! Mark my words!" Grumpy says

"I'll prove it!" Ventus yells

Ventus runs out of the cottage and heads off into the woods. As he wanders through the woods, Ventus encounters a giant Unversed which resembled a large, brown tree. This Unversed was known as Mad Treant.

"Back off!" Ventus yells

Ventus summoned his Keyblade into his right-hand and got into battle stance as he prepared to face the Mad Treant.

The Mad Treant struck first by slamming one of it's roots down at Ventus, but he rolls out of the way, dodging the root. Then, the Mad Treant launches three fireballs from it's head down toward Ventus. Ventus saw the incoming fireballs and quickly rolled out of the way.

Ventus rushes forward at the Mad Treant and strikes it with a flurry of quick slashes. He strikes with two extremely fast slashes, swinging his Keyblade left and right, then delivers a powerful overhead spinning strike.

The Mad Treant leaps up into the air and tries to smash down on Ventus, but he jumps and rolls over to the side. The Unversed lands on the ground with a loud thud, creating a shockwave around it, but fortunately for Ventus, he was at a safe distance away from the Unversed for the shockwave to reach him. Then, the Mad Treant spins around, flinging fruit bombs in all directions. Ventus saw some of the fruit bombs falling down toward him and quickly moved out of the way to avoid being bombarded by the fruit bombs.

Ventus charges at the Mad Treant and strikes it with four rapid slashes followed by an advancing spinning slash. Next, he delivers a fast spinning slash which hits six times. Then, Ventus spins around like a top with fast speed, hitting the Unversed numerous times with a powerful spinning attack. The Mad Treant collapses on the ground, stunned after being overwhelmed by Ventus' attacks.

Seeing that the Mad Treant was left weakened, Ventus saw his chance to finish the Unversed once and for all. He leaps up into the air and dives down on the Unversed with a downward slash. Ventus hits the Mad Treant with three more diving strikes, then flies high up into the air and dives down on the Unversed with a burst of wind, finishing the fight.

After defeating the Unversed, Ventus heads out of the forest and into the meadow.

"Terra! Ducar!" Ventus calls out

Ventus' voice echoes out into the meadow and then there was silence. Ventus looked around, but there was no sign of Terra or Ducar. He then looked down and saw a red apple roll at his feet. Ventus bent down and picked it up. Then, he saw an old woman in a black hooded cloak carrying a basket full of apples. Little did Ventus know that this was in fact the queen who had changed herself into an old hag.

"Excuse me, ma'am. You dropped this." Ventus says

Ventus walked over and gave the old hag back the apple.

"Oh, why thank you, my pet. To tell the truth, I really don't know what I would have done without it." The old hag says

The old hag turns her attention toward Ventus' Keyblade.

"Haven't I seen that sword before?" The old hag asks

"Terra has one. And so does Ducar. You know them?" Ventus asks

"Oh, yes, yes. Those ruffians pointed one of those at me asking me about some Xehanort. My poor heart nearly stopped." The old hag says

"That doesn't sound like them at all. Ma'am, where did they go?" Ventus asks

"I'm sure I have no idea... Must you all menace a poor granny so?" The old hag says

"What? No. I was just..." Ventus says

The old hag turned around and walked away into the woods.

"Terra, Ducar, what did you do?" Ventus asks himself

( _Moments later_ )

After Ventus left the Dwarf Woodlands, the old hag arrives at the cottage where Snow White resided with the seven dwarves. She was at the cottage all alone while the dwarves were out working in the mines. The old hag approaches Snow White and gives her a poisoned red apple. Unaware of the old hag's plot, Snow White bites the poisoned apple and falls to the ground.

( _Moments later_ )

Aqua and Shara arrive in the Dwarf Woodlands near the cottage and saw the seven dwarves mourning over Snow White's glass coffin.

"What happened here?" Aqua asks

"Poor Snow White." Doc says as he turns and faces Aqua and Shara

Aqua and Shara look into the glass coffin and saw Snow White. The two women gasped in shock upon seeing this.

"She was just as sweet as can be." Doc says

"She sang us purty songs." Sneezy says

"And made us smile." Happy says

"At bedtime, she told us wonderful stories." Sleepy says

"About fallin' in love with the prince she'd met." Bashful says

"And when we went to work, she gave us all a kiss." Grumpy says

"She was so full of kindness. Why, she made better folk of all of us." Happy says

"From what you've said, she must have been very loved." Shara says

"But, how did this happen to her?" Aqua asks

"The Queen was so horribly jealous of our dear Snow White's beauty. So she used some evil magic to change into an old hag, and then she gave Snow White a poisoned apple." Doc explains

"An' by the time we got here... Well, it was just too late. We found her as still as can be. Nothing we could do would wake her." Happy says

"Isn't there someway we can help her?" Shara asks

"Well, not unless someone craves the bastle-uh, braves the castle." Doc says

"All you fools can stay here and do nothin'. I'm not afeard a goin', not even to that witch's lair!" Grumpy says

"You'll never make it. The castle's supposed to be guarded by magic, an' crawling with monsters." Doc says

"Then, we'll go." Shara says

"You will?" Bashful asks

"Leave it to us." Aqua says

"Well, all right, my dears. We'd be much obliged." Doc says

Aqua and Shara head through the woods and come out into the meadow. They look toward the Queen's castle in the distance and began heading toward it. When they arrive, they enter the courtyard where the Prince was wondering where Snow White was.

"Is something wrong?" Aqua asks

"The castle. It's different somehow. And I can't find the princess or hear her beautiful voice. Was it all a dream?" The Prince says

"You must mean Snow White. Do you know her?" Shara asks

"Oh, yes. We met once. It was a song that drew us together. Has something happened to the princess?" The Prince asks

"Yes, I'm afraid so... The wicked Queen tricked her into eating a poisoned apple." Aqua says

Upon hearing this, the Prince became shocked.

"I must go to her! Where is she?" The Prince says

"In the woods, guarded by seven kind dwarves." Aqua says

"I will find her. Perhaps there is a way I can help." The Prince says

Having said that, the Prince runs off to help any way he can. Shara and Aqua head into the castle and traverse through the empty hallways, searching for anything that would help Snow White. The two women soon came into the Magic Mirror's chamber. As they stood inside the room, they felt something was wrong.

"Something isn't right here." Aqua says

"I feel it too." Shara says

Shara and Aqua both turned their attention toward the Magic Mirror and approached it. Suddenly, the spirit of the Magic Mirror appears before the two women. Shara and Aqua both jumped back and summoned their Keyblades. A bright blinding light shines from the Magic Mirror forcing Shara and Aqua to shield themselves from the light. The two women were soon absorbed into the Magic Mirror.

Shara and Aqua both found themselves in the mirror world with the spirit of the mirror hovering infront of them. The two women took hold of their Keyblades and got into battle stance as they both prepared to fight for their freedom.

The Magic Mirror sank into the reflective surface and rose up with copies in a path formation. The copies began to shoot fireballs from their mouths, causing Shara and Aqua to run down the path. The copies eventually sank into the reflective surface and the real Magic Mirror rose up infront of the two women.

Aqua rushes forward at the Magic Mirror with her body cloaked in flames and strikes the spirit with a left slash. She then jumps back and tosses her flaming Keyblade with a twirl. Her Keyblade lands a direct hit to the Magic Mirror, and flies back into Aqua's hand. Shara leaps up at the Magic Mirror with a somersault and swings her Keyblade down on the spirit. She follows up with two diagonal slashes left and right, then finishes with a spinning slash, summoning two orbs of light which spun around her.

The Magic Mirror flew away from the two Keyblade Wielders and began charging toward them moving from side to side in a frame-by-frame motion, leaving reflections of itself. Terra and Ducar both moved to the sides to avoid being hit by the spirit. Shara and Aqua both try to strike the Magic Mirror with their Keyblades, but the spirit flies up above them. It then dives down spiraling toward them. Reacting quickly, the two women leap out of the way.

Aqua rushes forward at the Magic Mirror with her body wrapped in light blue ice crystals and swings her Keyblade with a right slash. She then jumps back and throws her Keyblade at the Magic Mirror with a diagonal toss. The Keyblade flies toward the spirit with ice particles enveloping it. Within moments, the Keyblade strikes the Magic Mirror and flies back into Aqua's hand. Shara leaps up at the Magic Mirror and hits it with a spinning strike. She then jumps back and launches three light blasts from the tip of her Keyblade. Each of the light blasts hit the Magic Mirror, detonating small explosions in a flash of light.

The Magic Mirror sank into the reflective surface and rose up with copies in a circle around the two Keyblade Wielders. They soon launched fireballs at the two women, but Shara holds her Keyblade up in the air, creating a spherical barrier of light which deflects the fireballs. Shara and Aqua looked around at the copies that surrounded them to try and find the real Magic Mirror. They quickly spotted the one which was smiling and they hurled their Keyblades at the Magic Mirror. The Keyblades land a direct hit to the spirit, making the copies vanish into the reflective surface.

Aqua aims her Keyblade at the Magic Mirror and launches three fireballs at the spirit. Then, she launches three chunks of ice at the Magic mirror. Both projectiles of fire and ice hit the Magic Mirror, making him stagger back. Shara leaps forward at the Magic Mirror and spins her Keyblade infront of her like a windmill, landing multiple hits to the spirit. She then jumps back with a somersault and whirls forward with a spinning slash with her Keyblade wrapped with light.

In a short battle, much like as it was with Terra and Ducar, the Magic Mirror was defeated and Shara and Aqua were freed from the mirror world. The two women were brought back into the Magic Mirror chamber in a flash of light.

"The Queen is gone, my service done. Adieu, O victorious one." The Magic Mirror says

Having said that, the Spirit of the Magic Mirror fades away.

( _Moments later_ )

Shara and Aqua return to the woods where the seven dwarves were still mourning over Snow White's coffin. The Prince walks up to Snow White's coffin, leans down, and kisses Snow White on the lips. Suddenly, Snow White's eyes opened up as she was brought back to life. All the dwarves began to celebrate jumping around and laughing.

"That's so sweet." Aqua says smiling

"It's like a miracle." Shara says smiling

This reminded Shara and Aqua of when Ventus woke up from his comatose state

( _Flashback_ )

Ventus was lying in his room in the Land of Departure still in his comatose state. Shara and Aqua stood next to Ventus and watched him. Young Devon was also with the two women watching Ventus with a worried expression on his face.

 _"Ventus, why won't you wake up?" Aqua says_

 _"Mom, is Ventus gonna be alright?" Devon asks_

 _"I'm not sure, Devon." Shara says_

Aqua turned around to leave the room. Shara watched her walk away and felt that she should do the same.

 _"Come on, Devon." Shara says_

Shara took hold of Devon's left-hand and began to walk out of the room while Devon continued to look back at Ventus. Suddenly, Ventus started to groan.

 _"Wait, mom! Look!" Devon says_

Shara and Aqua both turned around and looked back at Ventus who started to awaken. Ventus slowly opened his eyes with a groan and he sat upright.

 _"He's awake!" Devon exclaims happily_

 _"Ven! You're awake! It's a miracle!" Aqua says_

 _"Terra! Ducar! Master Eraqus! Ventus is awake!" Shara shouts out of the room_

Terra, Ducar, and Master Eraqus rush into the room and saw Ventus fully awake. They were all happy to see that Ventus was finally awake.

( _Present time_ )

Snow White kisses each of the seven dwarves. The Prince holds Snow White in his arms and the two walk off together. Snow White waves goodbye to the seven dwarves as the Prince carries her.

"Every waking is a new journey." Aqua says

"Maybe Ven left... because it was his time." Shara says

Shara and Aqua looked at each other and smiled. They then watched as the Prince and Snow White walk off together on a journey of their own. As she stood there, a thought came into Shara's mind.

 _"Maybe someday Devon's will begin his_ _own journey, a_ _nd it will be his time to keep the light safe. I know he will become a great Keyblade Master just like me and Ducar."_ Shara thought to herself

( _Elsewhere_ )

Off in another world filled with light, Master Xehanort meets with a mysterious man on a large, round, metal platform with waterfalls and metal pipes surrounding them. A sinister smile forms on mysterious man's face and he turns around and leaves. High up on a stone ledge, the evil dark Keyblade Master, Lord Thanatos, observed the conversation under the darkness of his black cloak with his demonic red eyes glowing within the hood. As soon as the mysterious man left, Master Xehanort turned around and looked up at the ledge where Lord Thanatos stood watching him. The dark being nodded at the old Keyblade Master and he nodded back. With their sinister plan set in motion, the two villains take their leave. Master Xehanort leaves the area while Lord Thanatos retreats into the dark shadows, stepping backwards into the darkness behind him with a sinister smile on his face. His red eyes continued to glow in the darkness as he moved deeper and deeper until finally they faded away completely.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to the Dwarf Woodlands we go. Terra and Ducar come here searching for Master Xehanort, but instead, they meet the evil Queen who tasks them to kill Snow White. They refuse and the Queen forces the Magic Mirror to consume them. After defeating the Magic Mirror, the two men demand the location of Master Xehanort. The Magic Mirror tells them that he dwells in an ancient world where a great war took place. Having their answer, Terra and Ducar both take their leave. Shortly afterwards, Ventus arrives and meets the seven dwarves who mistake him for a thief. Later on, Ventus meets Snow White and brings her to the cottage where the dwarves live. In his search to find Terra and Ducar, Ventus meets the Queen who was changed into an old hag. Not long after Ventus leaves, Shara and Aqua arrive and find Snow White in a coffin with the seven dwarves mourning for their loss. Investigating the Queen's castle for anything that might help Snow White, Shara and Aqua both meet the Prince who was searching for her. They direct the Prince to woods where the dwarves and Snow White was and continue their search through the castle. The two Keyblade Masters come across the Magic Mirror who absorbs them into it. Afterwards, the two women return to the woods where the Prince brings Snow White back to life. Aqua reflects on whether Ven was in need of a journey while Shara believes that Devon would someday begin a journey of his own. Of course, we all know that. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	24. Guidance among Gods and Keyblade Masters

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Celestial Temple_ )

After having traveled to different worlds, Ducar and Terra both decided to seek guidance from The Inheritor at his residence, The Celestial Temple. The two men stepped out from a portal of light and switched out of their Keyblade Armor. Ducar and Terra looked ahead of them and saw a large sparkly blue stone temple standing before them. It's name: The Celestial Temple.

The Celestial Temple was an ancient place of sanctuary, a repository of great knowledge, and the home of The Inheritor. The Celestial Temple rested on a large floating island that contained a courtyard, a beautiful, lush garden full of flowers, an assortment of colorful crystals planted on the ground, and many tropical trees. Countless stars glittered in the night sky above the Celestial Temple. Colorful wisps of light floated about everywhere and rainbow colored auroras glowed in the night sky. The courtyard infront of the main entrance had a round fountain in the center with the statue of a praying angel standing inside. The main entrance to the Celestial Temple had four robed statues wielding a Keyblade in both hands held vertically upward.

When Ducar and Terra arrive, they both saw Mickey exit out of the main entrance of the Celestial Temple. As soon as he saw Mickey, something catches their eye. In Mickey's right-hand was a Keyblade. It's name: Star Seeker. The two men soon saw Mickey take out a blue Star Shard and holds it up into the air.

"Alakazam!" Mickey says

Mickey and the Star Shard began to glow with light. Then, Mickey disappears in a flash of light. Ducar and Terra watched as Mickey disappeared into the stars, then walked up the entrance staircase entering the Celestial Temple.

As they entered the Celestial Temple, Ducar and Terra marveled at the layout of the structure.

The two men stood in a vast three-story tall chamber with many crystallized pillars lining the hall and dozens of colorful nebulas floating above the ceiling over the entire hall. At the end of the hall was a cupola that had a large white crystal orb of light floating suspended between two dual curved staircases which led up to the next level. The massive crystal orb had a miniature spiral galaxy inside it and was orbited by two rings of rainbow-colored crystals. The ceiling of the spacious room was domed. Passages up on the second level led off into hallways which led into other areas of the Celestial Temple.

Ducar and Terra made their way up the staircase and they walked into the tall central doorway. The two men walked down a hallway toward another tall doorway which lead to the Celestial Archive. Entering through the door, Ducar and Terra came into the Celestial Archive where The Inheritor, Vervada, and surprisingly Master Yen Sid awaited them.

The Celestial Archive was one of the largest rooms in the building. Brightly colored stars floated around the room. The walls and flooring was black and blue with glittering stars imprinted on them. Floating suspended in mid-air in the center of the room was the giant crystal blue orb of light with streaks of light swirling around inside it. On the left-side of the room was the large blue celestial globe and on the right-side was the tall hourglass with blue sand. Colorful crystals in all sorts of colors were planted around the whole room. Shelves filled with countless books of all sorts were in all corners of the room. There was a large black marble stone desk with a round floating white chair. Behind it was curved light blue stained glass windows which cast in some light from the outside, dazzling the room with a sparkling light show.

"Inheritor. We have come to seek your wisdom." Ducar says

Vervada and Master Yen Sid turned and faced Terra and Ducar. The Inheritor was facing the giant crystal orb, but he soon turned around and faced the two men.

 ** _"Terra. Ducar. We've been expecting you."_** The Inheritor says

"Then, you know why we are here." Ducar says

The Inheritor walked over to his desk and took a seat upon the floating chair.

 ** _"It is the Unversed."_ ** The Inheritor says

"We both thought it would be best to seek the counsel of those wiser than us." Ducar says

"By the way, wasn't that your pupil we passed on the way in? He had a Keyblade..." Terra asks

 _ **"I believe you are referring to** **Mickey. He is a great friend of mine and is under the teachings of both me and Master Yen Sid. Like you, he too sought guidance here. As a king, he is good and kind. But the weight of the crown has not cured him of impetuousness. He left with an object of mine whose powers he does not understand nor how to control. Mickey imagines that my Star Shard will be of help on his current quest. And like you, he is eager to set things right."**_ The Inheritor says

"Terra and I have been to other worlds, and as you feared, the Unversed pose a serious threat. But we've also learned that a masked boy and a dark, powerful being who calls himself Lord Thanatos controls the Unversed. And not only that, Master Xehanort has disappeared. With all that is happening, neither one of us are not entirely sure what to make of this." Ducar says

 ** _"Hmm..._** ** _I believe that in order to reveal the truth, you should approach things differently. Consider them both one and the same problem."_ ** The Inheritor says

"Are you saying that Master Xehanort, Lord Thanatos, and the Unversed are connected somehow?" Ducar asks

 ** _"We cannot make assumptions. But finding Master Xehanort should provide a good start. Find Xehanort and the truth will come in time."_ ** The Inheritor says

"Thank you, Inheritor. We'd best be on my way." Ducar says

Terra and Ducar were about to leave when The Inheritor stops him.

 _ **"Ducar."**_ The Inheritor calls

Ducar turns back around and faces The Inheritor.

 _ **"I sense there is more troubling you than the current task at hand."**_ The Inheritor says

"We all sense it." Master Yen Sid says

Ducar closes his eyes for a brief moment, then opens them up to look upon the wise beings.

"It's my wife and my son. I worry about their safety." Ducar says

"That is not all that troubles you. You have a strong, powerful darkness swelling inside you." Vervada says

"I believe it somehow involves Lord Thanatos. From what I can conclude, Lord Thanatos is very powerful. I have managed to stand against his dark power, but my skills with the Keyblade alone wasn't enough to defeat him. So I was forced with only one option, to use the power of darkness. Now, I fear I have succumbed to it." Ducar says

 _ **"I can't agree with you more that darkness is something to fear, but it is something that we cannot exist without. Light and Darkness are what make the Universe as it is today. I know you are a great Keyblade Wielder, Ducar. But I cannot blame Master Eraqus for not making you a Keyblade Master. He knows as well as I do that the darkness inside you is strong."**_ The Inheritor says

"And that's not even the least of it, I have no idea where it came from. But I think I know now. I believe that there is darkness inside me because I am afraid of losing my friends. Terra, Ventus, Aqua. More importantly, my wife, Shara, and my son, Devon. The people I care so much about." Ducar says

 _ **"You are correct, Ducar. Fear is what feeds the darkness. But as Master Eraqus told you and Terra, fear leads to obsession with power and obsession beckons the darkness. Remember, without fear, there cannot be courage. To face our fears, we must be able to have the strength to face them and eventually conquer them."**_ The Inheritor says

"Thank you, Inheritor." Ducar says

 ** _"Then, you may go. Remember to keep the light burning strong within you."_** The Inheritor says

Ducar nods with understanding and takes his leave with Terra. As soon as the two men leave the Celestial Temple, The Inheritor closes his eyes.

 _ **"I say a prayer. To the brave warriors whom destiny guides them, be safe and do not fail."**_ The Inheritor says in his thoughts

Outside the Celestial Temple, five stars, each of a different color glittered in the night sky. These stars were colored blue, orange, green, red, and purple.

( _The Lanes Between_ )

After visiting the Inheritor, Terra and Ducar were on their Keyblade Gliders, flying through the Lanes Between. As they did, they began hearing Master Xehanort's voice.

 _"Terra. Ducar."_ Master Xehanort calls

"Master Xehanort!" Terra and Ducar exclaim

 _"Terra, Ducar, come see me at once."_ Master Xehanort says

( _The Keyblade Graveyard_ )

Terra and Ducar arrive at The Keyblade Graveyard in the badlands where Master Xehanort awaited them. Terra and Ducar looked down toward the badlands and saw Master Xehanort standing at a cliff.

"Master Xehanort..." Terra says

"There he is." Ducar says

The two Keyblade Wielders land infront of Master Xehanort and switch out of their Keyblade Armor.

"We have been to other worlds and we've seen what you've done. We just don't understand why?" Terra says

Master Xehanort closes his eyes.

"Someone had to safeguard the light... from the demon I unleashed. Terra, Ducar, I am sure you both know now about the boy. The one in the mask. His name is Vanitas." Master Xehanort says

Master Xehanort looks down at his left-hand.

"A creature of pure darkness. One of my making." Master Xehanort says gripping his hand into a fist

"Vanitas... Are you saying he came from you?" Terra asks

"He came from Ventus." Master Xehanort says

"What?!" Terra and Ducar both say in shock

"Yes. Vanitas was the darkness that was inside your friend." Master Xehanort says

Terra and Ducar were shocked even more.

"It was an accident. While training with me, Ventus succumbed to darkness, and there was but one way to save him: strip that part of him away and thus Vanitas was made." Master Xehanort explains

Master Xehanort turns and faces the open wasteland.

"In the process, I damaged Ventus' heart in the most horrific way. So I did what I felt was right and left him with Eraqus. I knew the boy could not stay with me, the man who did him such grievous harm." Master Xehanort says feeling ashamed

"Master Xehanort, Ventus has gotten alot stronger since then." Terra says

"Terra is right, master. You shouldn't blame yourself for not trying to save him." Ducar says

"Well... Thank you, lads. You know how to put an old man's heart at ease." Master Xehanort says

"So that's what it was." Terra says

"Now I remember." Ducar says

In that moment, Terra and Ducar both remember when Ventus first came to the Land of Departure several months ago.

( _Flashback_ )

That day when Ventus arrived with Master Xehanort, Terra, Aqua, Shara, and Ducar were training until they saw Master Xehanort and Ventus arrive. Master Xehanort went to speak with Master Eraqus leaving Ventus alone.

 _"That boy. Is he okay?" Aqua asks_

 _"I'll go see." Terra says_

As Terra went down to meet Ventus, Devon arrives and approaches his mother and father. When he arrives, he looks down and sees Ventus.

 _"Mom, Dad, who is that boy?" Devon asks_

 _"I don't know, son. But something doesn't right." Ducar says_

Terra approaches Ventus and introduces himself.

 _"My name is Terra. What's yours?"_

 _"Ventus."_

 _"Whew, you can talk!" Terra sighs with relief_

Terra looks up toward Aqua, Shara, Ducar, and Devon.

 _"Aqua, Shara, Ducar, c'mere!" Terra says_

Aqua nods and comes down. Shara, Ducar, and Devon also come down and meet Ventus.

 _"Hi, I'm Aqua."_

 _"I'm Ducar. This is my wife, Shara, and our son, Devon."_

 _"Hi." Devon says waving to Ventus_

 _"Terra... Aqua... Shara... Ducar... Devon..." Ventus says as if in a trance like state_

 _"So, are you here to train with us? Where are you from? Who was that man with you? You good with a Keyblade?" Terra asks_

As Terra asked all these questions, Ventus began to cry out in agony. He fell onto his knees and held his head continuing to cry out in pain shocking Terra, Aqua, Shara, Ducar, and Devon efficiently.

 _"Are you alright?!" Shara asks worryingly_

 _"What's wrong?! Ducar asks worryingly_

While this was happening, Master Xehanort and Master Eraqus arrived on the scene.

 _"What did you do?!" Master Eraqus asks shocked_

 _"Nothing. I-I just asked him some questions." Terra says_

Master Xehanort heads over to Ventus who laid on the ground unconscious and held him in his arms.

 _"Ventus cannot tell you anything because he cannot remember anything." Master Eraqus says_

( _Present Time_ )

Terra felt a great amount of guilt, believing that it was his fault that Ven came into a comatose state that day. Ducar felt bad that Ven was in alot of pain that day, all because of Vanitas.

"Master... why is Vanitas still free?" Terra asks

"Ah yes. Well, I did my best to contain him the moment he emerged, but..." Master Xehanort says

"He managed to escape." Ducar says

Master Xehanort nods yes.

"Vanitas did escape, but not alone. He help from another being of pure darkness. From what I remember, he calls himself Lord Thanatos, who happens to be a Keyblade Master. Vanitas uses the Keyblade to sow seeds of darkness for his master, Lord Thanatos. And now you see, the worlds teem with their ghastly underlings. " Master Xehanort says

"The Unversed!" Ducar and Terra exclaim

"Vanitas has no control over the darkness in his heart. The Keyblade is not his to bear. He's an abomination beyond hope of salvation. And with Lord Thanatos at his side as his master, I can only fear the worst is yet to come. Lend me your strength, Terra and Ducar. Right this wrong that I have wrought. " Master Xehanort says

"But where do we start?" Ducar asks

"We don't even know where to begin." Terra says

"What I can tell you about Vanitas and Lord Thanatos amounts to this: their darkness is drawn to the light which they seek to disrupt... and then destroy." Master Xehanort says

Terra and Ducar both feared what would happen if Vanitas and Lord Thanatos were to find Aqua, Ventus, Shara, and Devon.

In Terra's vision, Aqua and Ventus were brought down by Vanitas. In one vision, Ventus laid face down on the ground. In another vision, Aqua fell backwards onto the ground.

In Ducar's vision, Lord Thanatos murders his wife, Shara, and his son, Devon. In one vision, Lord Thanatos strikes Shara down with his Dark Keyblade. In another vision, Lord Thanatos holds 5 year-old Devon high off the ground by his throat choking him to death. Both Keyblade Wielders gasp in shock.

"It stands to reason that they will strike next in Radiant Garden, the City of Light." Master Xehanort says

"Then, that is our next stop." Ducar says

"Don't worry, Master. We'll take care of Vanitas and Lord Thanatos." Terra says

With that said, Terra and Ducar take off on their Keyblade Gliders with a new mission: To stop Vanitas and Lord Thanatos from spreading their evil throughout the worlds.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Here's a short chapter to show Terra and Ducar's meeting with the Inheritor at the Celestial Temple and Master Xehanort in the Keyblade Graveyard. First, Terra and Ducar set out to meet The Inheritor at his residence, The Celestial Temple. Here, they both meet the ancient being to seek his wisdom. Afterwards, the two men meet Master Xehanort in the Keyblade Graveyard. There, he tells them about Vanitas and Lord Thanatos. He then reveals that they intend to strike Radiant Garden in which Terra and Ducar make it their next stop. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	25. Vanitas, the masked boy

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Lanes Between_ )

Ventus was traveling through the Lanes Between when he saw Vanitas fly past him.

"Him again!" Ventus exclaims

Ventus flies after Vanitas and pursues him.

( _The Keyblade Graveyard_ )

Ventus flies out from a blue portal of light and he soars over the badlands. Ventus jumps off his Keyblade Glider and both it and his Keyblade Armor vanish in a flash of light. Ventus lands safely on the ground and began looking around for Vanitas.

"Where's he hiding?" Ventus asks himself

Ventus soon felt someone was behind him. He turned around and saw Vanitas standing before him.

"Alright! What did you mean about Terra and Ducar being a different person?" Ventus asks in a demanding voice

"Exactly what I said, idiot! The Terra and Ducar you know will be gone forever." Vanitas says

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" Ventus shouts

"Stupid or true." Vanitas says

Vanitas stretched out his right-hand, leaving Ventus confused. Then, in a flash of darkness, a Keyblade appears in Vanitas' hand. This Keyblade was known as Void Gear.

"A Keyblade?!" Ventus says surprised

Ventus looked on in surprise and slight shock upon seeing that Vanitas was a Keyblade Wielder. A serious look formed on Ventus' face and he summoned his Keyblade and got into battle stance.

"Good. Let's see what you're made of." Vanitas says

Ventus made the first move and tried to strike Vanitas with a spinning slash, but he leaps out of the way, performing a cartwheel to the left. Ventus swings his Keyblade down at Vanitas with an overhead strike, but Vanitas quickly teleports away, leaving behind an afterimage of himself. Ventus slices the afterimage in half, but realized that Vanitas had dodged his attack. Ventus began looking around, trying to spot Vanitas. Suddenly, he heard Vanitas' voice behind him.

"Gotcha!" Vanitas says

Just as Ventus turns around to face Vanitas, the masked boy strikes him in the stomach with a horizontal strike coming from his Dark Keyblade. Ventus lurched forward upon receiving the fierce blow, groaning in pain. After striking him with his Dark Keyblade, Vanitas delivers a reverse roundhouse kick to Ventus' head, sending him flying through the air. Ventus hits the ground hard and he rolls backwards a few feet before landing flat on his stomach. It took a while for Ventus to recover after receiving a harsh blow to the head, but he soon got back up on his feet.

Ventus rushes forward at Vanitas and lunges his Keyblade at the masked boy, but he jumps over to the right, making him miss. Vanitas swings his Dark Keyblade down on Ventus, but he jumps back a good feet away, evading the blow. As soon as he lands on the ground, Ventus looked ahead of him and saw Vanitas charging straight toward him with his Keyblade ready to attack. Ventus gripped his Keyblade and stood ready as Vanitas rushed towards him. As soon as he was in reach, Ventus swings his Keyblade with a roundhouse slash. Again, Vanitas quickly teleports away, leaving behind an afterimage of himself, making Ventus miss. Ventus looked around for Vanitas, but soon heard his voice above him.

"Pathetic!" Vanitas says

Just as Ventus looked up, Vanitas dives down with a somersault, swinging his Dark Keyblade down on Ventus, landing a hit to his chest which sends him back sliding across the ground. Vanitas delivers a kick to Ventus' chest, then sends him flying into the air with a backflip, striking him with his Dark Keyblade.

"Gaaaaah!" Ventus screams out in pain

Ventus falls down to the ground on his back, then lands flat on his stomach. Ventus tried to get back up and fight, but he was left weakened by the onslaught of Vanitas' blows. As he laid there weakened, Vanitas walks toward Ventus with his Dark Keyblade in his right-hand. He soon stops only a few feet away from Ventus, looking down at his pathetic weakness.

"That really all you got? Man, you're worthless. I'd be going against the Master's orders, but so what? As far as I'm concerned, your job here is done." Vanitas says

Vanitas takes hold of his Dark Keyblade with both his hands, holding it vertically infront of him. He lifts it into the air and a large dark blue flaming orb of darkness appears on the tip of his Dark Keyblade. He soon aims at Ventus and launches the dark fireball at him. The orb explodes in a mass of dark flames. Vanitas watches the fiery explosion as the flames reflected in his mask, believing that Ventus had been destroyed. As the explosion dissipated, all that was left was a large crater and a huge scorch mark on the ground. Just when he thought his slaughter was complete, Vanitas heard a voice in the air.

"Don't worry. You're safe." A male voice says

Vanitas turns to his right and saw Mickey standing infront of Ventus with the Keyblade: Star Seeker drawn. Mickey holds his Keyblade up into the air and heals Ventus with a Cure spell.

"Heal!" Mickey says

A green aura envelopes Ventus healing him of his injuries. Ventus groaned a bit and he looked up at Mickey while he turns around and faces Vanitas.

"Tell me where you got that! Keyblades are not something you use just to bully somebody around! Here, I'll show ya!' Mickey says

"We both will!" Ventus says standing alongside Mickey

Ventus and Mickey both look at each other and nod. They soon focus their attention at Vanitas as they prepare to fight the masked boy in another fierce battle.

Ventus and Mickey both rushed forward at Vanitas to strike him, but the masked boy leaps up into the air with a backflip and swings his Dark Keyblade with a horizontal slash, sending bolts of dark blue lightning down toward them. Ventus and Mickey both jumped back, dodging the dark lightning as it strikes the ground where they once stood.

Mickey leaps at Vanitas with a somersault and swings his Keyblade at the masked boy, but he holds up his Dark Keyblade in defense of the attack. Vanitas tried to strike Mickey with his Dark Keyblade, but he jumps back, dodging the attack. Mickey tries to attack Vanitas again with a fast, spinning slash, but the masked boy blocked against the attack with his Dark Keyblade, making Mickey flinch. Vanitas leaps back and charges up an orb of darkness at the tip of his Dark Keyblade. As soon as it was fully charged, Vanitas launches the dark orb at Mickey who barely had time to react. Within moments, the dark orb hits the ground only a few feet infront of Mickey and explodes in a fiery blaze of dark blue flames. Mickey was thrown back by the explosive blast and was sent sliding back across the ground. Fortunately, he wasn't seriously hurt by the attack.

Ventus charges at Vanitas and swings his Keyblade down at him, but the masked boy cartwheels to the right, dodging the blow. It was now Vanitas' turn to strike as he swung his Dark Keyblade down at Ventus who quickly held his Keyblade up to defend himself. The two Keyblade Wielders were now caught in a blade lock. At first, Vanitas seemed to gain the upperhand, but Ventus manages to push against the masked boy, matching his strength. He soon shoves Vanitas back and delivers a flurry of quick slashes to the masked boy.

Ventus swings his Keyblade left and right three times, then follows up with a spinning slash. Next, he spins his Keyblade infront of him like a pinwheel, hitting Vanitas six times. Then, Ventus strikes with two cross slashes, swinging his Keyblade left and right, followed by a powerful overhead spinning strike which sends Vanitas flying back.

Vanitas lands flat on the ground on his back and laid there supposedly defeated. Suddenly, he spins around on his hands and got back up on his feet. Ventus and Mickey both got into battle stance, expecting another fight.

"Hmph, you win." Vanitas says

A dark corridor opens up behind Vanitas as he began to take his leave.

"Consider yourself on probation." Vanitas says

Vanitas slowly backs into the dark corridor and disappears into the darkness. The dark corridor closes soon afterwards.

"Probation for what?" Ventus asks confused

Ventus turns and looks at Mickey.

"Thanks for before. I owe ya. The name's Ventus. What's yours?"

"I'm Mickey."

"I see you've got a Keyblade." Ventus says noticing Mickey's Keyblade

"Yep. I've been training under The Inheritor. He found out the worlds were in trouble, an' I sorta took off without tellin' him." Mickey says

"Well, that makes two of us. I ran off too." Ventus says

Mickey takes out his Star Shard.

"All I hafta do is think, and the Star Shard will take me anywhere I wanna go. At least, I thought it would. I haven't got the fine points down, like... when or where... It just kinda kicks in whenever it wants to. But I wouldn't have met you if it hadn't brought me here. Ya know, it might not be an accident. Maybe it starts workin' 'cause it's reacting to somethin'." Mickey says

Suddenly, the Star Shard shines brightly with light, forcing Ventus and Mickey to shield their eyes.

( _The Lanes Between_ )

Ventus awoke back in his Keyblade Armor on his Keyblade Glider. He looked around and saw that he was back in The Lanes Between. He soon turned his attention to a nearby world: Radiant Garden and made it his next stop.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Here's a neat little chapter to show Ventus' first battle with Vanitas. Ventus runs into Vanitas and chases after him to the Keyblade Graveyard. He gets pounded by Vanitas and was nearly killed until Mickey saves him in the nick of time. With Mickey's help, Ventus manages to fend off Vanitas. Ventus meets Mickey until he is transported back into the Lanes Between thanks to Mickey's Star Shard. Next stop, Radiant Garden! Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	26. Radiant Garden, City of Light

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Lanes Between_ )

Shara and Aqua were traveling in The Lanes Between on their Keyblade Gliders when they saw Terra and Ducar up ahead of them.

"Terra?" Aqua asks

"Ducar?" Shara asks

"Where are they off to?" Aqua asks

Terra and Ducar take off and head towards Radiant Garden with Shara and Aqua following them.

( _Radiant Garden_ )

Ventus arrives in Radiant Garden in the central square and saw Mickey walking off down a street towards the castle.

"Mickey?" Ventus says confused

Ventus heads out of the square and follows Mickey toward the castle. Just as Ventus heads towards the castle, Terra and Ducar arrives looking for Vanitas and Lord Thanatos, but only finds a swarm of Unversed in the square which emerged infront of them. These Unversed were Flood and Tank Topplers.

"Unversed!" Ducar exclaims

"This can only mean Master Xehanort was right." Terra says

Two Flood leap at the two men for an attack, but Ducar strikes them down with two quick slashes, a left slash at the first one, and a right slash at the second. Afterwards, Ducar strikes one Flood with a downward slash, then another with an uppercut, slicing both Unversed in half.

Terra lunges his Keyblade at one Flood, hits another with an uppercut, then strikes down a third one with a spinning slash. The remaining Flood sinks into the ground and moves around Terra, intending to strike him from behind his back. Terra caught sight of the Unversed and quickly dispatches it with a downward slash.

With the Flood out of the way, all that was left was the two Tank Topplers.

One of the Tank Topplers shoots gusts of air from its arms at the two men, but they shield themselves from the wind. Ducar held his right-arm infront of his face to shield himself while Terra used his left-arm. When the two men lowered their arms, they looked up and saw the other Tank Toppler falling toward them. Reacting quickly, Ducar and Terra leapt out of the way before the Unversed could land on them.

After dodging the attack, Ducar rolled around the Unversed and struck it's back with a rising spinning slash. He then hits the Unversed with a right kick, a right slash, a left-diagonal slash, two reverse roundhouse slashes, and a strong downward slash which propels the Unversed forward.

Terra moves in to assist Ducar and strikes with a charging strike, thrusting his Keyblade right at the Unversed's stomach. Next, he follows up with an uppercut, a left-diagonal slash, and three overhead spinning slashes. Then, Terra finishes the Unversed with a clean strike that slices it in half across it's body.

The two men direct their attention to the other Tank Toppler which started to glow red and swell up. The Unversed then began to roll toward the two men in an attempt to smash into them. Just as it reaches them, Ducar knocks the Unversed high into the air with an uppercut. The Unversed detonates in a medium-sized explosion and disappears.

After dealing with the Unversed, the two men de-summon their Keyblades and they both saw Master Xehanort walking down a street.

"What's Master Xehanort doing here?" Ducar asks

"Maybe he's found something out." Terra says

Terra and Ducar follow the path Master Xehanort went until they saw a giant Unversed flying towards the mining area outside town.

This Unversed had a set of three, segmented, bright silver legs with dark blue joints. The top of the center leg sports two red eyes and acts as the Unversed's head. The Unversed emblem was small and on the center leg, right below the eyes. Each leg ends in triangular, black feet.

Now turning their attention toward the Unversed, Terra and Ducar chase after the Unversed.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Aqua and Shara both arrive in Radiant Garden and look around their surroundings. They saw Scrooge McDuck walking into the courtyard and decide to ask him about Ventus, Terra, and Ducar.

"Excuse us!" Aqua says

"We're sorry to bother you, sir." Shara says

"Ach, well what well-mannered lasses ye are. I'd be pleased as punch to help ya, if I can." Scrooge says

"We're looking for a boy who's not from around here." Aqua says

"We were hoping you might've seen him." Shara says

"Hmm, I think I know just who yer talkin' about. He scampered off toward yon castle in a right hurry." Scrooge says

"Thank you so much." Aqua says

Scrooge chuckles and walks away. Aqua and Shara turn her attention toward the castle.

"Terra, Ducar, Ven, I hope you're still there." Aqua says

( _Meanwhile_ )

Ventus reaches the castle and head to the front doors. Unfortunately, his entrance was prevented by the castle guards, Dilan and Aeleus, who happened to be the original persona of Xaldin and Lexaeus.

"Hold on." Dilan says

"The castle is presently closed." Aeleus says

"But somebody just came this way! He's a friend of mine." Ventus says

Dilan and Aeleus look at each other, then look back at Ventus.

"We aren't aware of any visitors." Dilan says

"Now run along home, boy, before the monsters get you." Aeleus says

"I coulda sworn it was him." Ventus says

Ventus was just about to turn and leave until a giant Unversed appears.

This Unversed had a diamond-shaped grey head with red eyes set in an angry expression. The front of its body was adorned with a large, yellow, U-shaped additive with black edges lined by four shirt spikes. Its neck was thin, black, and curls forward. The Unversed symbol was printed on the end of the neck. On either side of the neck, the Unversed had two bright sliver arms that end in triangular blades, each with a red stripe on them.

"They're here!" Aeleus says

"Radiant Garden shall not fall to the likes of you!" Dilan says

Dilan and Aeleus began to walk towards the Unversed until Ventus runs ahead of them.

"Leave this to me!" Ventus says

Ventus chases after the Unversed.

"Stop! But you're just a child!" Dilan says

Dilan and Aeleus were about to chase after Ventus until a voice spoke out to them, making them stop.

"Now who do you think will defend the castle if you two go skipping off?" A male voice asks

The voice belonged to a man named Even who happened to be one of the six apprentices to Ansem the Wise, and the original persona of Vexen.

"But, that boy..." Dilan says

"Never you worry about him. He's a special case." Even says

"A what?" Aeleus asks

"Even is right. Lord and castle come first. The boy will have to fend for himself." Dilan says

"Which reminds me, His Lordship was asking for you." Even says

Dilan and Aeleus head into the castle while Even watches Ventus chase after the Unversed.

"A heart devoid of darkness. Stripped clean of it, at that. Very questionable." Even says

Even follows Dilan and Aeleus into the castle.

Ventus saw the Unversed terrorizing Scrooge McDuck.

"Ach! How dare ye!? Back off, ye fiend! You'll not be gettin' my money!" Scrooge says

"Look out!" Ventus says throwing his Keyblade toward the Unversed

The Keyblade hits the Unversed with a direct hit, causing it to flee into the town. Ventus chases after the Unversed until Scrooge stops him.

"Wait a moment, laddie. Don't I get a chance to repay ye?" Scrooge says

"Oh, you don't have to." Ventus says

"Now, hold on yer horses. I didn' mean me fortune. Maybe a wee bit o' gold, or a small token of..." Scrooge says

Ventus looked back and saw that the Unversed was getting away.

"Could you make it fast?" Ventus asks

"I know. I've got the thing in me hat." Scrooge says

Scrooge takes off his hat and reaches into it.

"C'mere." Scrooge says beckoning Ventus closer to him

Ventus moves closer to Scrooge.

"You can tell me, lad. You came here from another world, didn't ye?" Scrooge asks

Ventus gasps in surprise upon hearing this. Scrooge chuckles.

"Dinna worry. Me bill is sealed. Yer secret's safe with me. I'll not be asking ya any awkward questions. Ye see, 'tis the same with me. I asked a wizard named Merlin to bring me here from another world. After all, adventure is the mother of Industry! Eh? Eh?" Scrooge says

"Great! Is that all?" Ventus says

"Aeh, but I'm holdin' ya up, lad." Scrooge says

Scrooge reaches into his hat and takes out five Disney Town Passports.

"Here. These are lifetime passes to Disney Town. Ye'll have buckets 'o fun there or my names not Scrooge McDuck. There y'are. Enough for you and four grown-ups." Scrooge says

Scrooge gives Ventus the five Disney Town Passports. Ventus gladly accepts them and continues to chase after the Unversed.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Shara and Aqua run to the castle where they both saw young Kairi being attacked by a swarm of Flood Unversed.

"No! Run!" Aqua cries out

Kairi runs and soon reaches a dead end against the walls of the castle. She soon runs over to Shara and Aqua next to Shara's side.

"I sense light within this girl." Aqua says

"I feel it too." Shara says

Shara and Aqua soon turn her attention toward the Unversed.

"There's no way we can fight like this." Aqua says

One of the Flood Unversed jumps toward Shara, Aqua and Kairi. Suddenly, Mickey jumps in at the Unversed and strikes it down with his Star Seeker Keyblade.

"Hurry! Ya gotta get that girl to someplace that's safe." Mickey says

"Who are you?" Aqua asks

"Why do you have a Keyblade?" Shara asks

"I'll tell you later. Right now, we gotta stop these things!" Mickey says

Shara carries Kairi away from the Unversed while Aqua follows her. Once Kairi was safely away from the Unversed, Shara and Aqua return to Mickey's side.

"Everything alright?" Mickey asks

Shara and Aqua nod their heads and the trio turn their attention toward the Unversed.

"Let's get 'em!" Mickey says

"Right!" Shara and Aqua say in unison

Shara thrusts her Keyblade at one Flood, taking it out with one hit. She then strikes another Flood with a spinning slash and takes out a third Flood with a downward slash performing a cartwheel kick. One Flood tries to take a leap at Shara, but she sends it back with a reverse roundhouse kick, using her right-leg to kick the Unversed back.

Aqua brings her Keyblade down on one Flood with a downward slash, slicing it in half. Afterwards, she strikes another Flood with a spinning slash, then hits a third one with a rising uppercut performing a backflip. Two Flood leap forward at Aqua for an attack. Reacting quickly, Aqua tosses her Keyblade with a horizontal toss, sending it flying toward the Unversed. The Keyblade slices through the first Flood, then flies back around and slices through the other Flood just before Aqua catches it back in her hand.

Mickey leaps forward at a Flood with a somersault and swings his Keyblade down on the Unversed, slicing it vertically down the center. Two Flood tries to leap at Mickey while his back was turned, but he quickly whirls around and strikes the two Unversed down with two swipes from his Keyblade.

Another group of Flood Unversed emerged from the shadows and surrounded the heroic trio. Shara, Aqua, and Mickey stood back-to-back with their Keyblade extended and spun around, creating a shower of light which blows away the Unversed. Then, the three heroes send out a burst of light which destroys the Unversed, blasting them into oblivion.

After all the Unversed were defeated, Shara, Aqua, Kairi, and Mickey all meet up.

"Thank you. My name is Aqua."

"And I'm Shara. We train under Master Eraqus."

"I'm Mickey. I used to be The Inheritor's Apprentice. I came back to them for some more training."

Shara and Aqua looked over at Kairi for a brief second before looking back down at Mickey.

"We both sensed light within this girl." Aqua says

"Do you think it is why the Unversed attacked her?" Shara asks

"Yep. I think ya might be absolutely right. If ya ask me, she must be somebody pretty extraordinary." Mickey says

"She must be someone we're supposed to protect." Shara says

"Let's join forces!" Mickey says

Suddenly, Mickey's Star Shard begins to glow again enveloping the area in a bright, blinding light.

"Oh no! Not now! I'll be okay!" Mickey says

Mickey disappears with the light and takes off into the stars.

"See ya real soon!" Mickey says

Shara, Aqua and Kairi watch as Mickey takes off into the stars.

"Here!" Kairi says

Kairi hands Shara and Aqua each a bouquet of beautiful flowers. Both of them had two red flowers, one yellow flower, two blue flowers, and one pink flower.

"Are these for us?" Aqua asks

Kairi nods yes.

"I picked you both some flowers. Thank you for saving me." Kairi says

Shara and Aqua gladly accept the flowers.

"They're lovely. You're so sweet." Shara says

"My name's Kairi! Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you too. I'm Shara and this is Aqua."

"Now, Kairi, about that light-" Aqua says

Suddenly, a voice called out to Kairi, interrupting Aqua.

"Kairi!" A female voice calls

Shara, Aqua, and Kairi turn around and saw Kairi's Grandmother walk toward them.

"Oh! Grandma!" Kairi says

Kairi was about to run off to her grandmother when Shara and Aqua stop her.

"Oh, Kairi, just a minute." Aqua says

Kairi turns back toward Shara and Aqua. Aqua places her right-hand over Kairi's necklace. A small light appears on Kairi's necklace. Aqua places a spell on Kairi in order to protect her light should it ever be threatened.

"I just cast a magic spell on you. One day, when you're in trouble, the light within you will lead you to the light of another. Someone to keep you safe." Aqua says

"Thanks!" Kairi says

Having said that, Kairi runs off to her grandmother.

"There you are. It's time to go." Kairi's grandmother says

"'Kay!" Kairi says

Before Kairi and her grandmother leave, Kairi looks toward Shara and Aqua and waves goodbye to them.

"Bye!" Kairi says waving goodbye

Shara and Aqua smile and wave back. Kairi and her Grandmother then walk away.

"Hey, Grandma?" Kairi says

"Hm? What is it?" Kairi's grandmother asks

"Could you tell me that story?" Kairi asks

Kairi's grandmother chuckles.

"Again?" Kairi's grandmother asks

"Please?" Kairi begs

"Very well, then." Kairi's grandmother says

Kairi giggles and listens to her grandmother's story.

"Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of the light. Everyone loved the light. Then, people began to fight over it. They wanted to keep it for themselves and darkness was born in their hearts. The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people's hearts. It covered everything and the world disappeared. But small fragments of light survived, in the hearts of children. With these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost world. It's the world we live in now. But the true light sleeps, deep within the darkness. That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other. But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open, and the true light will return. So, listen, child. Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you. Believe in the light, and the darkness will never defeat you. Your heart will shine with it's power and push away the darkness." Kairi's grandmother says

"Kairi... Something tells me we didn't run into her by accident." Aqua says

"I think you might be right about that, Aqua. If only Kairi met my son, Devon. I'm pretty sure the two of them would be great friends." Shara says

As Shara and Aqua began to leave, they both saw a giant Unversed flying through the air to their right.

This Unversed was cone-shaped and bright silver, spiked additives decorating it. The Unversed emblem was on its front. Its base is black with gold lining and four thin, black, propeller-like blades are attached to its top. These blades each had a gold stripe near their tips and the Unversed spins them in a helicopter-esque fashion to move. Its red eyes were on the small spike on its top.

"Unversed! It never ends!" Aqua says

Shara and Kairi follows the Unversed and chases it through town.

( _Moments later_ )

All five heroes arrive at the same place chasing their respective Unversed. They were all surprised to see each other.

"Ven!" Terra, Aqua, Shara, and Ducar exclaim in unison

"Terra! Aqua! Shara! Ducar!" Ven calls

Each of the five heroes look up to see the Unversed they had been chasing. The Unversed the five heroes have been chasing actually turned out to be one Unversed all together. When the three individual Unversed meet, they each began to change shape. The cone-shaped armor compacts and then splits in two, forming the Unversed's arms. The center leg retracts into itself and flips upside down. The head changes, becoming silver and sleeker, and it gained a horn on the top of its head.

Now united, Terra, Aqua, Ventus, Shara, and Ducar stand together and face off against the unified Unversed known as Trinity Armor.

The Trinity Armor attacks first by firing a large laser from its Torso. All five heroes dodge the attack. Next, the Trinity Armor attacks with one-two punch. Again, all five heroes dodge the attack. The five heroes began to direct their attacks toward the limbs of the Trinity Armor. First, they unleash an onslaught of attacks against the legs.

Ventus strikes the legs of the Unversed with four rapid slashes and finishes with an advancing spin attack that hits three times. Terra strikes the Unversed with three intense slashes and finishes with a powerful downward slash. Aqua strikes with four wide-sweeping slashes and finishes with a magical spinning attack. Ducar and Shara strike the Unversed together with Ducar delivering six intense slashes, a powerful wide-sweeping slash, and a strong downward slash and Shara attacking with four teleporting strikes, and an attack in which Shara warps around the Unversed, hitting it with colorful spikes of energy from every angle.

Soon, the legs were destroyed and all that was left now was the arms and torso of the Unversed. The five heroes focus their attacks on the arms. But before they were given a chance to attack, the arms and the torso double-team and shoot a massive laser as they rotate around the battlefield. Shara and Aqua cartwheel out of the way avoiding the laser while Ventus, Terra, and Ducar roll out of the way. The torso spins around, sending lasers in all directions, but the five Keyblade Wielders deflect the lasers off their Keyblades. Ventus, Terra, Aqua, Shara, and Ducar all throw their Keyblades at the arms of the Unversed. Each of the Keyblades were wrapped with light of an individual color. Ventus' was green. Terra's was orange. Aqua's was blue. Shara's was purple. And Ducar's was red. All five Keyblades land a direct hit to the arms, taking it out.

Now all that remained was the torso. The torso spins around shooting fireballs in all directions. The five heroes dodge the fireballs and retaliate. Ventus attacks with a six quick slashes, and a charging spin attack, followed by six downward slashes. Terra attacks with six fast and furious slashes. Aqua attacks with three wide-sweeping slashes, followed by seven additional slashes, and finishes with five slashes and two jumping slashes. Ducar strikes with four upward and downward slashes, four left and right slashes, an overhead jumping strike, two spinning slashes, and finally a strong downward slash. Shara attacks with a ten quick slashes, followed by five additional slashes, and a final powerful strike which staggers the Unversed.

The five heroes soon got together as they prepared to unleash a powerful attack upon the Unversed. Five runic sigils appeared underneath the five Keyblade Wielders and they each began to glow with light. A blue glowing orb of light appeared in the air above the five friends and they all raised their Keyblades into it. The glowing orb soon explodes in a flash of light, stunning the Unversed.

"Terra!" Aqua shouts

"Ducar!" Shara shouts

"Ven! Terra! Now!" Ducar shouts

"C'mon!" Ven shouts

Ducar jumps into the air with Ventus on his left and Terra on his right jumping into the air with him. Aqua and Shara struck first followed by Ventus and Terra who cleaved their Keyblades down on the Unversed. Then, there was Ducar who finishes the fight by cleaving his Keyblade straight through the Unversed, slicing it in Unversed falls to the ground and fades away defeated. With the Unversed defeated, the five heroes met up.

"Got 'im." Terra says

"We make a great team." Aqua says

"Sure do. Oh yeah! I got you these tickets." Ventus says

Ventus takes out the five Disney Town Passports and hands them to Terra, Aqua, Shara, and Ducar while he kept one for himself.

"For what?" Ducar asks

"Lifetime passes to Disney Town. He said to-he said to take four grown-ups." Ventus says

"You mean us?" Shara asks

Terra, Aqua, Shara, and Ducar laugh.

"Listen to us, Ven... We need to get you home." Aqua says

"It's okay, Aqua. Trust me, that guy in the mask is history. He'll never bad-mouth Terra or Ducar again." Ventus says

Terra and Ducar gasp surprised to hear Ventus mention Vanitas.

"You saw the boy in the mask?" Terra asks

"Y-yes?" Ventus answers

"And what about a dark figure? Did you see him with the boy?" Ducar asks

"No." Ventus answers

"Vanitas..." Terra says

"Lord Thanatos... Ven, you let Aqua and Shara take you home." Ducar says

"No way. I wanna go with you guys." Ventus says

"You can't. We have a dangerous task ahead of us. We don't want you to get hurt." Terra says

"And what is this dangerous task, Terra?" Aqua asks

"It doesn't sound like what the Master told you both to do." Shara says

"It might be a different route, but we're both fighting the darkness." Ducar says

"I'm not so sure. We've been to the same worlds as you and we've seen what you've done." Aqua says

"Aqua's right. You both shouldn't put yourselves too close to the darkness." Shara says

"Listen to yourselves, Aqua, Shara. Terra and Ducar would never-" Ventus says

"You mean you were spying on us?" Ducar asks

"Is that what he said to do? The Master's Orders?" Terra asks

"He was only-" Aqua says

"He was just trying to-" Shara says

"Aqua... Shara..." Ventus says

"I get it." Terra says

"So do I." Ducar says

Terra and Ducar turn around and began to walk away.

"Terra! Ducar!" Ventus calls

"Just stay put!" Terra says

"We're on our own, all right?" Ducar says

Having said that, Terra and Ducar continue to walk away.

"Terra! Ducar! Please! Listen! The Master has no reason to distrust you both, really!" Aqua says

"He was just worried!" Shara says

"You're both awful." Ventus says

"So now you know the truth." Aqua says as she turns toward Ventus

"The Master loves Terra and Ducar and you know that too." Shara says as she turns toward Ventus

"Were you also 'ordered' to take me home?" Ventus asks

Aqua and Shara sigh.

"Aqua... Shara... Now that you're Keyblade Masters, you've let it go to your heads. I'm gonna go find Terra and Ducar." Ventus says

With that said, Ventus runs off leaving both Shara and Aqua alone.

( _Moments later_ )

Ventus arrives in the Town Square and he saw young Ienzo being attacked by Flood Unversed.

"Run!" Ventus says

Ventus draws his Keyblade and faces off against the Unversed while Ienzo runs to safety.

One Flood leaps forward at Ventus, but he strikes it down with a downward slash. He thrusts his Keyblade at another Flood, hitting it with a lunging strike, then takes out another Flood with an uppercut. Ventus hits one Flood with a spinning slash, strikes two more Flood with two fast cross slashes, then finishes the last remaining Flood with a powerful overhead spinning strike.

In a short battle, the Unversed were vanquished and everything was peaceful again.

"Ienzo, where are you? Answer me?" A male voice calls out

This voice belonged to Even who arrived looking for Ienzo. Even turns around and saw Ienzo who walks past Ventus.

"Ah, there you are. Didn't I warn you not to wander off, child?" Even says

Even turns toward Ventus.

"I see we owe you our thanks. We have done our best to raise the boy since his poor parents are not here to do it." Even says

"Oh, you're on your own, huh?" Ventus says

Ventus looks up toward Even.

"Sir, I'm looking for some friends of mine. They're tall kinda dressed like me. Have you seen them?" Ventus asks

"Hmm. Perhaps I did see them in the Outer Gardens. Just follow this road." Even says

"Thank you." Ventus says

"No, thank you for keeping Ienzo out of harm's way. And... well let's say I have a feeling we are destined to cross paths again." Even says

Having said that, Even and Ienzo walks away, leaving Ventus slightly confused. Ventus soon took off toward the outer gardens to find Terra and Ducar.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Terra and Ducar both walk down to lower portions of Radiant Garden after having left Shara, Aqua, and Ventus. Their main focus now was finding Master Xehanort.

"Master Xehanort is the only one we can count on now." Terra says

"Then we should find him." Ducar says

"You must be Terra and Ducar." A male voice says

This voice belonged to Braig who stood at the opposite side of the platform and was the original persona of Xigbar.

"It's that old coot, he won't stop asking for you. I came all the way out here to get you so he'd clam up." Braig says

"What do you mean?" Terra asks

"Ha! Do I have to spell it out? Xehanort, whatever he's called. You know, my prisoner." Braig says

"You're apparently not a very good liar." Terra says

"There's no way Master Xehanort would ever let himself get caught by a thug like you." Ducar says

"As if! I've got the old coot at my mercy, see for yourself. I'm holding him underneath the Outer Gardens. Better show up before I lose my patience. Ciao." Braig says

Having said that, Braig walks away.

"There's no way it's true." Ducar says

"But there's no harm in looking." Terra says

"Right." Ducar says

( _Moments later_ )

Terra and Ducar proceed down to the Outer Gardens and stand out on a large platform. They both look around, but don't see Master Xehanort anywhere. They soon turn around and saw Master Xehanort bound in chains high up against a large pipe.

"Master Xehanort!" Terra and Ducar exclaim

"The old coot certainly knows how to take punishment. Just like I know how to deal it out." A male voice says

Terra and Ducar saw Braig walking down towards them.

"You monster! What are you after?" Terra says summoning his Keyblade into his hand

"That thing right there. It's called the Keyblade, isn't it? Yep, it seems like these days everybody's got one of those... even grandpa there. When I nabbed him, he told me all about it, what a weapon like that can do. How could I not want one?" Braig says

"Well, you'll find they're picky about their owners." Ducar says

"Ha, if I heard the old guy right, you're both what they call Keyblade Master material. So if I defeat you, that makes me the real Keyslinger, if you catch my drift. Not the most polite way to go about it... but what can you do?" Braig says

Before Terra and Ducar could make a move, Lord Thanatos drops down out of nowhere and lands crouched down alongside Braig with his Dark Keyblade: The Harbinger of Shadows in his right-hand. The dark being rose up and lifted his head, looking upon the two men with his glowing red eyes underneath the darkness of his hood.

"Lord Thanatos!" Ducar exclaims

Ducar immediately summoned his Keyblade into his hands upon seeing the Dark Keyblade Master.

"So, you're Lord Thanatos." Terra says

"Oh, did I forget to mention I had some help? The big guy, Lord Thanatos if I remember his name correctly helped me nab the old coot and told me all about the Keyblade. And after seeing what he could do with his Keyblade, now I most definitely want one." Braig says

Terra and Ducar were just about to make a move until Braig warns them.

"Ah-ah, one more step and the old coot goes boom. You think we're gonna fight fair? As if! That key's too powerful for us to go mano a mano." Braig says

The two men were both reluctant to fight back out of fear of succumbing to the darkness and endangering Master Xehanort. Braig constantly shoots at Terra with his Arrowguns as he shields himself with his Keyblade, holding it out infront of him. While Braig constantly attacked Terra, Lord Thanatos hurls a powerful storm of dark lightning through his left-hand at Ducar who blocks with his Keyblade. The attack started to become more intense and it manages to penetrate Ducar's defense, knocking him back toward Terra who was knocked down by one of Braig's shots.

"Hmph. For a Keyblade Master, you're not very-what's the word-good?" Braig says

 **"YOUR RESISTANCE SHOWS YOUR WEAKNESS. IF YOU ARE TO SAVE YOUR MASTER, YOU MUST EMBRACE THE DARKNESS WITHIN YOU."** Lord Thanatos says

 _"He's right. Our restraint is costing us the fight. But we swore to never use the darkness. I can't succumb to it! I will not!"_ Ducar says in his thoughts

"What are you doing, Terra? You and Ducar must fight!" Master Xehanort says

"But Master Xehanort you'll-" Terra says

"Never mind me! You must fight! You cannot let Lord Thanatos and this ruffian win! Think of your master, Eraqus! The shame that he and your fellow pupils were forced to bear! Use the Keyblade!" Master Xehanort says

Terra rises to his feet with anger swelling within him. Ducar also rises to feet with anger swelling within him as well. An aura of darkness began to envelope both Terra and Ducar. A dark light shined from their hands. And wisps of darkness began to emanate from their bodies as well. Ducar's brown eyes faded out, becoming luminous, red eyes while Terra's eyes remained the same. The pupils in Ducar's eyes shrank and became dark black slits.

"So much for the bluff." Braig says

Terra and Ducar face Braig and Lord Thanatos again only this time using the power they promised never to use: the power of darkness.

Just as the battle started, Braig warps up to a high platform and aims his two Arrowguns at Terra.

"You better start running!" Braig shouts

As soon as he said that, Braig began firing purple energy bullets at Terra who immediately ran to the sides to avoid being shot. With every shot fired, Terra dashed, slid, and rolled out of the way. Terra soon stopped and decided that he was done running. He made his stand and held his Keyblade infront of him. Braig aimed his Arrowguns at Terra and fired three energy bullets at him. Terra deflected each of the energy bullets with a swing of his Keyblade, sending them back at Braig.

After being hit by his own shots, Braig warped down to the platform to continue the fight on the ground. As soon as he was back down on the platform, Braig fires both his Arrowguns at Terra who deflected the shots back at him with his Keyblade. Braig continued his assault by running around Terra and firing multiple energy bullets in all directions, leaving behind after images of himself. Terra swung his Keyblade around him to defend himself from the shots. He then tried to take a swing at Braig, but he warps away to safety in a heartbeat. Braig reappears behind Terra levitating upside down in mid-air and fires his Arrowguns at him. Terra quickly turns around and defended himself from the energy bullets with his Keyblade.

While Terra fought off against Braig, Ducar squared off against his opponent, Lord Thanatos.

Ducar struck first by thrusting his left-hand forward at Lord Thanatos, hurling a powerful storm of dark blue lightning bolts from his fingertips. The lightning bolts hit Lord Thanatos with a direct hit, electrocuting the Dark Keyblade Master and sending him back sliding across the ground. Afterwards, Ducar swings his Keyblade with a right-slash and launches a dark blue crescent blade of darkness at Lord Thanatos. The crescent blade lands a direct hit to Lord Thanatos' chest, making him stagger back. Then, Ducar throws his Keyblade at Lord Thanatos with a right-diagonal toss. The Keyblade was bathed in a dark blue aura as it headed toward the Dark Keyblade Master. Within moments, the Keyblade lands a direct hit to Lord Thanatos' chest, making him stagger back even more.

Ducar aims his Keyblade at Lord Thanatos and fires a volley of dark blasts at him. All of the dark blasts hit Lord Thanatos multiple times. Lord Thanatos never made an attempt to attack Ducar or defend himself. He simply just stood there and allowed Ducar to unleash an assault of dark attacks upon him.

Continuing his assault, Ducar rushes at Lord Thanatos and strikes him with multiple slashes from all directions. Afterwards, he jumps into the air with a backflip and plunges his Keyblade into the ground with a somersault, unleashing columns of dark energy around him. Next, Ducar whirls forward and strikes Lord Thanatos with six spinning slashes with his Keyblade enveloped in darkness. Finally, Ducar charges at Lord Thanatos with his body cloaked in darkness and delivers a devastating strike to his chest which sent the Dark Keyblade Master flying through the air, finishing the fight.

Lord Thanatos lands crouched down on the ground after receiving the powerful blow. He then began to chuckle in his deep, dark, demonic voice while he rose to his feet.

 **"HM HM HM HM HM... HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA... GOOD. THE DARKNESS INSIDE YOU IS GROWING EVERMORE STRONGER. SOON, YOU SHALL BELONG TO DARKNESS AND YOU WILL FINALLY BE UNDER OUR CONTROL."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos began to fade away into the darkness as a dark aura enveloped him.

 **"UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN, KEYBLADE WIELDERS."** Lord Thanatos says

Having said that, Lord Thanatos disappears into the darkness.

With Terra, Braig was knocked back by a strong blow recieved by the Keyblade Wielder who was now levitating in mid-air. With Braig left dazed, Terra aims his Keyblade at the man and shoots a blast of darkness that hits Braig's face permanently damaging his right-eye and giving him a large jagged scar extending from his left cheek to just under his left eye. Another blast of darkness was sent toward Master Xehanort, freeing him from the chains that binded him. Braig held his right-eye and groans in pain. He looks up at Terra for a brief moment, then quickly leaps away, fleeing the outer gardens.

Once the two villains were gone, Terra and Ducar regained their senses.

"This power..." Terra says

"Well done, Terra. Well done, Ducar. You both have taken yet another step forward." Master Xehanort says as he approaches the two men

"But we were consumed by anger... and hatred. That was the power of darkness." Ducar says

"Darkness that you channeled." Master Xehanort says

"No... I succumbed to it. Just like when I stole Princess Aurora's heart of light. I can never return home now. I'm a failure." Terra says

"I did it again... I succumbed to darkness. Now I can never see Shara or Devon again. I can't return to my wife or child. I'm an utter failure." Ducar says overwhelmed with despair

"Then don't. You can both become my pupils. Master Eraqus, you see, is so afraid of darkness, that he too, has succumbed. Not to darkness, but to light. It shines so bright, he forgets that light begets darkness. And Aqua, Ventus, Shara, and Devon, their light shines too bright." Master Xehanort says

Master Xehanort stops infront of the two men and points a finger to Terra's chest.

"It is only natural that they cast shadows on your hearts." Master Xehanort says

Terra and Ducar both look at Master Xehanort in slight surprise as to what he had just said. Master Xehanort walks past the two men, continuing to speak.

"Eraqus... he's such a fool! Light and darkness, they are a balance, one that must always be maintained. Terra... Ducar... you two are the only ones who show the true Mark of Mastery, but he refuses to see it." Master Xehanort says

Master Xehanort turns around, looking at Terra and Ducar.

"And I know why. It is because he fears you." Master Xehanort says

The old Keyblade Master walks up to Terra and Ducar and places his hands on both their shoulders.

"Join me. Together, we can do the worlds much greater good, by wielding light and darkness in equal shares." Master Xehanort says

Terra and Ducar both stare at Master Xehanort, taking in what he had said. The old Keyblade Master turns around and places his hands behind his back.

"See more worlds. Seek out the darkness that upsets the balance. Find Vanitas and his master, Lord Thanatos. And bring and end to them..." Master Xehanort says

Master Xehanort looks back over his right-shoulder at the two men.

"Master Terra and Master Ducar." Master Xehanort says

Terra and Ducar gasp in slight shock and surprise, but they straighten themselves and bow before Master Xehanort who secretly hides a sinister smile.

( _Moments later_ )

Terra and Ducar both walked through the fountain courtyard preparing to leave when they heard Ventus calling out to them.

"Terra!" Ventus calls out

Terra and Ducar turns around and face Ventus as he stops infront of them.

"Take me with you!" Ventus says

"We can't do that, Ven." Terra says

"Why not?" Ventus asks feeling disappointed

"It's just-When I need you, Ven, I know you'll be there." Terra says

"Same here." Ducar says

"Well, why wouldn't I? You're my friends." Ventus says

"Yeah. You're right. Thanks, Ven." Terra says

Ducar smiles and nods at Ventus. Terra and Ducar switch into their Keyblade Armor and take off on their Keyblade Gliders.

"I better tell Aqua and Shara!" Ventus says

With that said, Ventus runs off to find the two women.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Aqua and Shara both walk into the town square and they saw Vanitas up at the top of the ramp across from them.

"A mask! You're the boy Ventus mentioned." Aqua says

"Ah yes, Ventus. Tell me something, has he learned how to put up a decent fight yet?" Vanitas says

"What do you mean?" Shara asks

"I'll be asking the questions. And why shouldn't I? After all, between the two of us... I'm the only one who will walk away from here alive." Vanitas says

Vanitas summons his Dark Keyblade: Void Gear and gets into battle stance. Shara and Aqua both summoned their Keyblades and got into battle stance with serious looks on their faces as they prepared to fight the masked boy.

"Guess again!" Aqua says

Vanitas made the first move by leaping up into the air and swinging his Dark Keyblade with a horizontal slash, launching dark blue lightning bolts down toward Shara and Aqua. The two women instinctively leap back, dodging the attack. Vanitas lands back on the ground and attacks again. This time, he launches a dark blue fireball from the tip of his Dark Keyblade. The fireball splits apart into three more fireballs and they all home in on the two women. Shara raises her Keyblade above her head and a bright light envelopes it, creating a spherical barrier of blue light which encases her and Aqua inside. The fireballs hit the barrier and explode, but the two female Keyblade Masters were left unscathed, thanks to the magical barrier that Shara generated.

Shara rushes forward at Vanitas and thrusts her Keyblade at him, but the masked boy leans his body to the left, away from the Keyblade. Next, Shara tries to hit Vanitas with a right-slash, but he ducks down, making her miss. Then, Shara tries to deliver a downward slash, but Vanitas cartwheels over to the right, making Shara miss again. Vanitas counters the attack by swinging his Dark Keyblade with two cross slashes, but Shara parries against the blows using her Keyblade. Vanitas raises his Dark Keyblade over his head and tries to swing down at Shara, but she evades the attack with a backflip, jumping a good feet away from the masked boy.

Aqua aims her Keyblade at Vanitas and launches three fireballs toward him. Vanitas dodges two of the fireballs with a cartwheel to the left, then leaps into the air with a backflip, dodging the third fireball. Vanitas began rushing toward Aqua while she aims her Keyblade at him. As the masked boy quickly approached her, Aqua launches three chunks of ice toward him. Vanitas leaps over to the left and right, evading two of the ice chunks, then leaps up into the air with a somersault, dodging the third ice chunk. Vanitas raises his Dark Keyblade over his head and tries to deliver an overhead strike, but Aqua quickly jumps away from him, just as he slams his Dark Keyblade into the ground. Vanitas dashes toward Aqua and takes a swing at her with a spinning slash. Aqua quickly brought her Keyblade up to block against the blow, but it was so sudden that it made her stumble and fall backwards.

Vanitas tried to strike Aqua with a downward slash while she was stunned, but Shara leaps into action and sends him back with a flying kick. Vanitas was sent flying with a backflip and he slides across the ground, eventually skidding to a stop. Shara quickly pulled Aqua up to her feet and the two Keyblade Masters nodded at each other. They both then focused their attention toward Vanitas as he rose to his feet.

Aqua rushed forward at Vanitas while he stood ready for whatever she was planning do to. Vanitas expected Aqua to try and hit him with a frontal attack, but that was not what she did. Instead, Aqua leaps up into the air with a somersault and performs a spinning twirl, swinging her Keyblade around her. She soon slammed her Keyblade down on the ground, creating a large rippling shockwave of light that sent Vanitas sliding back across the ground. The attack left Vanitas stunned, giving Shara an opportunity to attack.

Shara rushes at Vanitas and strikes with a cartwheel kick. She then knocks him into the air with an uppercut from her Keyblade. Shara leaps up after Vanitas and delivers a series of kicks to his chest, sending him higher into the air. Finally, Shara sends Vanitas down to the ground with a roundhouse slash.

Vanitas crashes and rolls across the ground after receiving the strong blow. Shara lands crouched down on the ground, breathing heavily for air. Aqua was also gasping for air. Feeling that the fight was finished, the two Keyblade Masters slowly approached Vanitas as he laid on the ground supposedly defeated.

"Who are you?" Aqua asks

Just as Aqua places her left-hand on Vanitas' helmet, the masked boy started laughing. The two women immediately jumped back, expecting another fight, while Vanitas rose to his feet.

"Not bad at all. Congratulations. I'll keep you two around." Vanitas says

A dark corridor appears behind Vanitas and the masked boy turns around to face it.

"Never hurts to have a backup." Vanitas says

Vanitas enters the dark portal and disappears into the darkness while Shara and Aqua watch. Just when they thought it was over, Lord Thanatos appears before them in a flash of darkness, wearing his dark cloak.

"Lord Thanatos!" Shara exclaims

"So you're Lord Thanatos." Aqua says

 **"INDEED I AM, CHILD. AND IT WOULD APPEAR THAT YOUR BATTLE WITH VANITAS HAS LEFT YOU BOTH IN WEAKENED STATES. HM HM HM HM HM... GOOD. DESTROYING YOU BOTH WILL BE LIKE MERE CHILD'S PLAY. AND IT SHALL GIVE ME TWICE THE PLEASURE."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos stretches his right-hand out and summons his Dark Keyblade: The Harbinger of Shadows. Even though they were still weakened by their battle with Vanitas, Shara and Aqua prepared themselves for an epic battle against Lord Thanatos.

Lord Thanatos made the first move by charging straight toward the two female Keyblade Masters. He lunges his Dark Keyblade at Shara in an attempt to stab her, but she leans her body to the right and knocks away the Dark Keyblade with a swing of her Keyblade. Lord Thanatos swings his Dark Keyblade down at Shara's feet, but she leaps over the sweeping strike. He then takes a swing at Shara's head, but she quickly ducks down, avoiding decapitation.

It was now Shara's turn to strike. Shara tries to strike Lord Thanatos with two diagonal slashes, but he knocks away her Keyblade with two swings from his Dark Keyblade. Next, Shara tries to deliver a reverse roundhouse kick to Lord Thanatos' head, but the dark being ducks down, making her miss. Then, Shara tries to deliver an overhead strike, but Lord Thanatos holds his Dark Keyblade up over his head, blocking against the blow. Afterwards, Lord Thanatos swings Shara's Keyblade away and thrusts his left-hand forward, sending Shara flying back with a telekinetic blast. Shara slides back across the ground and skids to a stop. After recovering from the attack, she looks up and saw Lord Thanatos rushing towards her with his Dark Keyblade ready to strike.

Lord Thanatos raises his Dark Keyblade over his right-shoulder and tries to hit Shara with a diagonal slash, but she knocks the Dark Keyblade away with a swing of her Keyblade. Using the momentum to his advantage, Lord Thanatos quickly spun around and delivered a harsh roundhouse kick to Shara's head, making her backflip in the air. Shara lands back on her feet after being kicked in the head by the dark being. Lord Thanatos tries to hit Shara with a horizontal slash, aiming for her chest, but the female Keyblade Master jumps back a good distance away from him, dodging the blow.

With Shara safely away from Lord Thanatos, Aqua aims her Keyblade at the Dark Keyblade Master and launches a large fireball at him. Just before it could hit him, Lord Thanatos swipes his left-hand to the left, swatting the fireball away from him. The fireball was sent flying straight up into the air and it detonates in a massive, blinding explosion which forced both Shara and Aqua to shield their eyes. While the two women were blinded by the light of the explosion, Lord Thanatos leaps up into the air. Shara and Aqua both lowered their arms and looked ahead of them, only to see that Lord Thanatos was no longer there. They soon looked up and saw that he was heading straight toward them with his Dark Keyblade raised above his head. Reacting quickly, the two women both jump back just as Lord Thanatos brought his Dark Keyblade down.

Shara rushes forward at Lord Thanatos and attacks him with a roundhouse slash, but he defends himself against the blow, holding his Dark Keyblade up. Lord Thanatos counters the attack with a kick to Shara's chest, making her stumble back. Aqua rushes in to Shara's aid, swinging her Keyblade down on Lord Thanatos. Diverting his attention toward Aqua, the dark being blocks against the blow with his Dark Keyblade, then slides her Keyblade away, leaving her open. Lord Thanatos swings his Dark Keyblade at Aqua with a horizontal slash, aiming for her stomach, but she quickly jumps back, evading the blow. Aqua tries lunging her Keyblade at Lord Thanatos, but he moves over to the left and kicks her back with his right-leg, making her stumble forward.

Shara and Aqua both charge at Lord Thanatos and they both swing their Keyblades at him. Lord Thanatos, being a skilled Dark Keyblade Master, manages to block both Shara and Aqua's blows with hardly any effort. He switches back and forth from Shara to Aqua, spinning his Dark Keyblade around to block their blows. Shara tries to bring her Keyblade down on Lord Thanatos, but he blocks against the blow with his Dark Keyblade. Aqua charges in to strike Lord Thanatos behind his back while he was busy with Shara, but he stretches his left-hand out toward her, stopping her dead in her tracks. Aqua was lifted up into the air by a telekinetic force emanating from the dark being's hand. Lord Thanatos swings Shara's Keyblade away and delivers a kick to her chest, making her back onto the ground. Afterwards, Lord Thanatos turns around to face Aqua. He then sends her back with a thrust of his hand. Aqua rolls across the ground and eventually comes to a stop.

Shara quickly jumped up to her feet and tried to strike Lord Thanatos while his back was turned. Without even looking, Lord Thanatos holds his Dark Keyblade down behind his back, blocking Shara's blow. The dark being turns his head around and looks back at Shara with his right-eye. Then, he spins around to face her while Shara took a couple steps back.

Shara was surprised at how skilled Lord Thanatos was with his Dark Keyblade. He was able to fight off both her and Aqua. She looked past Lord Thanatos and saw that Aqua was lying down on her right-side, trying to recover. She looks back at Lord Thanatos with a determined look on her face and felt that it was time to finish this fight. Shara took hold of her Keyblade in both her hands and held it up infront of her face. She closes her eyes and began concentrating on drawing power from the light in her heart. Shara's body began to glow with pure light, emitting a light blue aura. She soon opened her eyes which briefly flashed a blue light. Lord Thanatos was hardly surprised by this, but was ready for whatever she would throw at him.

Shara grips her left-hand into a fist and thrusts it forward at Lord Thanatos, hurling the Dark Keyblade Master back with a powerful telekinetic blast emanating from her open palm. Lord Thanatos was sent sliding back across the ground. He used his left-hand to catch himself and eventually skidded to a stop. Shara sprints forward and leaps up into the air. Lord Thanatos rose up onto his feet and saw Shara up in the air, hurtling down toward him. Shara throws her Keyblade down at Lord Thanatos with a horizontal toss, landing a direct hit to his chest, making him stagger back. As she comes down, Shara delivers a diving kick to Lord Thanatos' head, then performs a somersault leap to strike the back of his head with the heel of her right-foot. Next, she delivers an axe kick to Lord Thanatos' head, making him look down, and then kicks him in the face with her other foot to knock him away. Then, she spins around and delivers a rising uppercut which knocks Lord Thanatos into the air. From there, Shara leaps up after Lord Thanatos, raises her Keyblade over her right-shoulder, and brings it down on his chest, sending the Dark Keyblade Master down to the ground.

Lord Thanatos crashes flat on his back, supposedly defeated. Shara lands crouched down on the ground and stood up on her feet. The pure light that enveloped her body began to fade away. Feeling that Lord Thanatos had been beaten, Shara de-summoned her Keyblade and made her way over to Aqua.

"Aqua, are you alright?" Shara asks with concern in her voice

"Yeah. I'm okay." Aqua says

Shara offered Aqua her right-hand and helped pull her onto her feet. The two female Keyblade Masters then direct their attention toward Lord Thanatos as he slowly sat upright and rose up to his feet. His hood fell back as he rose up, revealing the back of his black thick skull. Once he was completely up, the Dark Keyblade Master turns around to look at the two women.

 **"HMM... IMPRESSIVE. YOUR SKILLS HAVE IMPROVED AND YOUR POWER HAS INCREASED, BUT THAT WILL NOT BE ENOUGH TO WIN THE WAR THAT IS TO COME."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos lifts the hood of his cloak over his head and he began to glow with a black and blue aura of darkness. He then began to fade away as the darkness enveloped him.

 **"UNTIL OUR PATHS CROSS AGAIN, KEYBLADE WIELDERS."** Lord Thanatos says

Having said that, Lord Thanatos disappears into the darkness.

"We have to stop them before anything else happens to Terra, Ven, and Ducar." Shara says

Aqua nods in agreement.

"Aqua! Shara!" A voice calls out

Shara and Aqua turn around and saw Ventus running toward them.

"Ven!" Shara and Aqua exclaim

"Were you able to find them?" Aqua asks

"Yeah, but... They're gone." Ventus says

"Right." Aqua says

"Then we can't stay here. We have to go find them." Shara says

"Let me go with you." Ventus says

"No, Ven. Do as we say and go home." Shara says

"Why won't you let me?" Ventus asks

"We don't want to put you in harm's way." Aqua says

Aqua places her right-hand on Ventus' left-shoulder.

"You understand?" Aqua asks

Ventus looks at Aqua with an upset look on his face. Shara walks up to Ventus and bends down to him.

"Ven, please. Devon is waiting for you. He's all alone at home with Master Eraqus. He'll be much happier if you are there." Shara says

Shara and Aqua switch into their Keyblade Armor and take off on their Keyblade Gliders. Ventus sat in the town square and thought to himself. As he sat there, Ventus remembers the time that he, Terra, and Ducar were training.

( _Flashback_ )

Ventus and Terra were training in the Land of Departure outside the castle while Aqua, Shara, Ducar, and Devon watched them spar. Ventus used a wooden sword while Terra used a wooden Keyblade.

 _"Giving up already? C'mon, Ven. I thought you were stronger than that." Terra says_

 _"Ven, you almost had him!" Aqua says_

 _"Just try again!" Shara says_

 _"Hey wait, you're teaming up now?" Ducar asks with a raised eyebrow_

Ventus rises to his feet, picking up his wooden sword and sprints toward Terra, continuing their sparring match.

Later on, Ventus, Terra, Aqua, Shara, Ducar, and Devon all sat on the ledge looking out into the distance of their world. Ventus had his wooden sword sitting on his lap while Devon had a wooden Keyblade sitting on his lap with his name etched into the guard. Ventus' wooden sword had alot of dents and chips on it.

 _"Ven, Devon, you see all those dents and nicks you got?" Ducar asks_

 _"Each one of those is proof you're learning." Shara says_

 _"You're both trying to hard to move your body. You need to learn to let your body move you." Terra says_

Terra stands to his feet with his wooden Keyblade and holds it up.

 _"In your hand, take this blade. And so long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, it's wielder you shall one day be made." Terra says_

 _"What's that about? Who went and made you master?" Aqua says_

 _"Being a Keyblade Master is all I dreamed about." Terra says_

 _"Well, you're not the only one." Aqua says_

 _"I know. You, Ven, Shara, Ducar, Devon, and me all share the same dream." Terra says_

Shara and Ducar look toward their son, Devon who sat quietly.

 _"Don't worry, Devon. You'll come to wield a Keyblade of your own one day. And I'm certain you will become a great Keyblade Master." Ducar says_

 _"Ducar's right. We believe in you." Shara says_

 _"And if you believe, so do we." Aqua says_

 _"Yeah." Ventus says nodding his head_

Terra nods his head in agreement as well. Devon looks up at his parents and his friends and smiles.

( _Present time_ )

Ventus sat in the town square and plays with Terra's old wooden Keyblade, but drops in front of two teenagers, Lea and Isa.

Lea was a childish, competitive boy who happened to be the original persona of Axel. And Isa was a boy who was much quieter and more mature than Lea, and was the original persona of Saïx.

Lea picks up Terra's Wooden Keyblade and swings it around.

"This yours?" Lea asks

"Lea, we don't have time for this." Isa says

"Lighten up, Isa. It'll only take a sec. You still play with toy swords? That's cute." Lea says

Lea hands Ventus the wooden Keyblade.

"Now this right here. Tada! Whaddya think?" Lea says taking out two frisbees

"Not a whole lot." Ventus says

"You're just jealous. I'm Lea. Got it memorized? What's your name?"

"Ventus."

"Okay, Ventus, let's fight!" Lea says

"Fight? Why would I wanna do that?" Ventus asks

"You scared of losing? C'mon." Lea says

Lea jumps back.

"Hope you're ready." Lea says

Ventus smiles and grabs the wooden Keyblade. He stood up onto his feet and got into battle stance.

"Yeah! Now we're talkin'!" Lea says

"You're gonna be sorry!" Ventus says

Ventus and Lea fight each other playfully. After a short, playful spar, Lea stumbles to the ground.

"You... had enough? Cause I'm willing to... call it a draw if you are." Lea says

"Right." Ventus snickers

"From where I stood, the only thing you draw was a big L on your forehead for _'Loser'_ , _'Lame'_ , _'Laughable'_." Isa says

"Wha? Isn't this the part where ya cheer me up or somethin'? _'You're just having a bad day'_ or _'That's what you get for pullin' your punches!'_ Some friend." Lea says

"Oh, you mean I was supposed to lie." Isa says

"Ya see what I gotta put up with? Sure hope you don't have friends like him." Lea says putting his hands behind his head and lying on the ground

Ventus, Lea, and Isa laugh.

"Lea, we have to go." Isa says

"'Kay!" Lea says

Isa starts to walk away while Lea rises to his feet.

"Already?" Ventus asks

"I'll see ya when I see ya. After all, we're friends now. Get it memorized." Lea says

"Okay, Lea." Ventus says

Lea catches up with Isa.

"What is it with you and picking up stray puppies?" Isa says

"I want everybody I meet to remember me. Inside people's memories, I can live forever." Lea says

"I know I won't forget you. Believe me, I try all the time." Isa says

"See? I'm immortal." Lea says with a smile

"You're obnoxious." Isa says

Lea and Isa look up toward the castle.

"You ready?" Lea asks

"Well, I can tell you are." Isa says

"Yeah." Lea says

Lea and Isa soon walk away. Ventus walks off in another direction, but soon stops and looks up at the sky.

"Must be nice... knowin' who your friends are." Ventus says

( _Moments later_ )

After, Terra, Ventus, Aqua left Radiant Garden, Master Xehanort stood on the large platform in the outer gardens, looking down at the water down below. Suddenly, an angry voice shouted at him.

"Hey, you old coot!" A male voice shouts

A purple energy bullet was fired at the old Keyblade Master's back, but the shot was deflected by an invisible barrier. Master Xehanort turned around and looked at Braig with a calm look. Braig now had a white strap around his head, a white patch over his right-eye, and another patch covering his lower left-cheek. The man walked toward the old Keyblade Master, firing his Arrowguns at him constantly in anger despite the fact that his shots kept hitting an invisible barrier.

"You said I wouldn't get hurt! I didn't sign up to be collateral damage!" Braig shouts

Braig was soon up in Master Xehanort's face, aiming the Arrowgun in his right-hand at the old man's forehead. Master Xehanort didn't seem troubled by Braig's outburst whatsoever.

"No way! As if!" Braig shouts

Master Xehanort gripped his right-hand into a fist and he summoned his Dark Keyblade in a flash of darkness. He then held his Dark Keyblade up to Braig with the tip reaching his neck by mere inches. This was enough to make Braig back off and cower in slight fear.

"Okay! Okay, fine. Fine! Just... just put that down! You still need me! You still need me to do something, right? And all I'm asking is that you hold up your end of the bargain." Braig says

Master Xehanort de-summons his Dark Keyblade which made Braig relax and sigh with relief.

"Heh. I mean, what's a little scratch on my face, huh? All things considered. I'm just lucky that neither one of them didn't steal my heart like Princess Whatever-It-Was. That would've ruined my week for sure." Braig says

Master Xehanort turned around and looked back down over the railing.

"Unlikely. A powerful light still lives inside of Terra and Ducar. You see, people like them... they don't have the power to steal hearts." Master Xehanort says

"So wait, you mean... they're not the ones who stole her heart?" Braig asks

Master Xehanort remained silent and stood with his back to Braig and a sinister smile on his face.

( _Elsewhere_ )

Somewhere in the darkness of the shadows, Lord Thanatos kneeled down before his master, the Dark Lord of the Shadows who appeared as a towering dark figure with glowing red eyes.

 _ **"LoRd ThAnAtOs, My ApPrEnTiCe... I aSsUmE yOu HaVe CoMpLeTeD yOuR tAsK iN RaDiEnT GaRdEn?"**_

 **"OF COURSE, MI LORD, EVERYTHING IS GOING AS YOU HAVE FORSEEN."** Lord Thanatos says

 _ **"ExCeLlEnT. It WoN'T bE lOnG nOw UnTiL tHe X-bLaDe ShAlL bE fOrGeD. ThE bOaRd Is SeT aNd ThE pIeCeS aRe MoViNg InTo PlAcE. SoOn, ThE X-bLaDe AnD KiNgDoM HeArTs ShAlL bE oUrS. WiTh BoTh In OuR pOsSeSsIoN aNd OuR eMpIrE gRoWiNg StRoNgEr WiTh EaCh PaSsInG mOmEnT, tHeReE WiLl bE nO lImIt To ThE pOwEr I wIlL aTtAiN. My GrIp On ThE uNiVeRsE sHaLl Be SuPrEmE!"**_

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Major chapter here! Ventus, Terra, Aqua, Shara and Ducar all reunite in Radiant Garden. Together, they face off against Trinity Armor and meet many of Radiant Garden's residents including Kairi! Terra and Ducar face off against Braig and Lord Thanatos, succumbing to the darkness once again. Aqua and Shara face off against Vanitas and then face off against Lord Thanatos. Both Terra and Aqua finally meet Lord Thanatos. Meanwhile, Ventus meets Lea and Isa. So far, this was the chapter everyone has been waiting for and I am just happy to bring it to fruition. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	27. Welcome to Disney Town

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _Disney Town_ )

Terra and Ducar both arrive at Disney Town. Just then, they see a group of Unversed on the racing course of 'Rumble Racing' _._ These Unversed were known as Glidewinders due to their mechanical bodies, large, conical lances, and a wind-up key in their heads.

"Unversed!" Ducar exclaims

Ducar and Terra both summon their Keyblades into their hands and jump onto the track. They attempt to go after them, but they were too fast.

"We'll play your game." Terra says

Ducar and Terra nod at each other and were about to switch into their Keyblade Armor until a voice calls out to them.

"Watch out!" A female voice yells out

The two Keyblade Wielders turn and see Pete in his vehicle heading straight toward them. They both dive out of the way as Pete passes them. Terra and Ducar rise to their feet and turn their attention toward Queen Minnie, Pluto, Chip and Dale who stood from the sidelines.

( _Moments later_ )

Terra and Ducar were off the track, talking to Queen Minnie, Chip and Dale.

"Thanks for piping up back there. I mean it. The name's Terra."

"And I'm Ducar."

"It's nice to meet you, Terra, Ducar." Minnie says

"What're you nuts, runnin' out onto the course like that?" Chip says

"Yeah! That's against the rules." Dale says

"I'm sure you both had your reasons, but I can't say that I approve either." Minnie says

"Well, rules don't apply when you're up against the Unversed." Ducar says

"Rules don't apply? You sound just like Pete!" Chip says

"Look! Here comes Captain Dark!" Dale says

As if on cue, Pete comes in, playing under the guise of his costume.

"Disguised in shadow, the rogue racer reigns! I am... Captain Dark!"

Pete walks toward Terra and Ducar.

"And you must be the chumps who made me miss a new track record. Hold on... How come I don't know you two? Somebody bringin' in a ringer?" Pete says

"We're not even racers." Terra says

"Must be downright temptatious to try and stop a tenacious racer like me from breaking a track record, but we all gotta play by the rules, rookies." Pete says

After saying that, Captain Dark aka Pete walks away.

"Now just a second! You're the no-good cheater who's always breakin' the rules!" Chip says

"Well, we can't say racing interests us, but we need to defeat the Unversed." Terra says

"Are you talkin' about all those karts that look like scary, ugly monsters?" Chip asks

"Well, we've only ever seen the monsters on the track." Minnie says

"That's it! Terra, Ducar, you two just need to enter the races! And while you're at it, take that Captain Dark down a notch or two. He's always breakin' the rules and causin' trouble." Chip says

"We have to become racers?" Ducar asks

Chip and Dale both nod.

"Now I'm sure I don't have to tell you-" Minnie says

"We know. We'll play by the rules." Terra says

"Yay! Terra and Ducar's gonna be our new racers!" Dale says

"Alright! I'll get you guys signed up and everything!" Chip says

( _Moments later_ )

Terra and Ducar both participate in the race and stood at the starting line on their Keyblade Gliders with Pete and the other races. Within moments, the race began and the two men were already in the lead. Three Glidewinders soon came up on them. One was blue, another was yellow, and the third was red. The red Glidewinder tried to ram into Terra, but he slams on the brakes of his Keyblade Glider, making it miss. He then rams into the Unversed with a frontal charge, taking it out of commission. The two men soon finish the first lap and continue down the track.

As they made their way through lap two, the blue Glidewinder tries to hit Ducar with a vicious spin attack, but he generates a spherical barrier of light around him, which shields him from the attack. Ducar then hits the Unversed with a spin attack of his own, swinging his Keyblade Glider around to send it into oblivion.

Ducar and Terra soon came into the final lap. With two Unversed down, all that remained was the yellow Glidewinder. Terra and Ducar felt pretty confident that they had this race in the bag. That was until the yellow Glidewinder zipped past them. As they moved around the bend, Ducar saw a shortcut up on the right with a ramp that would take him to it. He headed toward the ramp and made the jump to the shortcut. Ducar quickly made his way through the shortcut and made it to the otherside. He was now right behind the Unversed. Looking up ahead, he could also see the finish line. Determined to finish the race, Ducar rammed straight through the Unversed with fast speed, effectively taking it out. Ducar then sped through the finish line in first place. Terra soon came in and finished in second. The two men stopped their Keyblade Gliders and nodded at each other.

( _Moments later_ )

After the race, Terra and Ducar met up with Queen Minnie, Chip and Dale. Pete was also with them with his kart smoking, having a fit.

"My kart must've sprung a spring! You yahoos just wait! Next time, I'll clobber all of you!" Pete says

Having said that, Pete drives away on his kart.

"Yippie! I hope he's gone for good! Nobody's gonna vote for a weasel like you, Pete!" Chip says

"Pete? Vote? What do you mean?" Terra asks

"Chip means The Million Dreams Award. It's a very popular part of our Dream Festival. Everyone in town votes for who we think is the most exemplary citizen." Minnie explains

"And since everybody knows how much of a troublemaker Pete is, he probably thinks wearing a disguise was the only way he'd get any votes." Chip says

"No votes, no prize!" Dale says

"Yeah, the prize is all he really wants anyway. He doesn't care about bein' a good citizen." Chip says

"Oh, I think that's very sad. The award is supposed to help us appreciate how much we all look out for each other every day. " Minnie says

"Well one thing for sure, I'm votin' for Terra and Ducar! Your racing really saved the day against those monster karts!" Chip says

"Hip-hip hurray for Terra and Ducar!" Dale cheers

Terra and Ducar chuckle slightly.

"Well, we got something out of it too. We've learned that you don't always have to bend the rules to reach your goals." Terra says

Queen Minnie smiles upon hearing that.

"All this time, we've been staring into the darkness... But... that doesn't mean we have to jump in." Terra says

"I suppose there is a lesson to be learned from this. We don't need to give in to the darkness to achieve our goals. Rather, following the rules gives us the same accomplishment. We'll learn to overcome the darkness somehow. I'm sure of it." Ducar says

Soon, Terra and Ducar leave Disney Town continuing their journey.

( _Moments later_ )

Shortly after Terra and Ducar's departure, Ventus arrives at Disney Town, walking into the main plaza and was immediately greeted by Pete who was wearing another disguise.

"Tada!" Pete exclaims

Ventus was a bit startled when Pete greeted him. He then watched with a baffled expression as Pete began posing infront of him.

"Wearin' the mask of peace and hope... comes the fearless defender and hero of this town! It is me! Captain Justice!"

"Huh? Umm..." Ventus says

"Young fellow! Do my hero-senses detect that you got troubles? Just say the word, and Captain Justice will make all your problems disappear!" Pete says

"W-who me? I'm just trying to make some friends... Never mind, forget it." Ventus says

"Don't be intimidated by my magnificence. Go on and spit it out. Then, remember to vote Captain J." Pete says

"Vote?" Ventus asks feeling confused

"Oh! Well, uh, forget that. How can I help? That's the only reason I'm here." Pete says

"Hmm... I know. Tell me about your town. Everything's so festive. Is it always like this?" Ventus says

"Huh? That's it? Nothin' else? Well, the festivities are on account of the Dream Festival, which is why I've made sure there's carnival stuff all over town." Pete says

"Really? Like what?" Ventus asks

"Ho ho, you gotta see it for yourself. Wouldn't be much of a dream if I just told ya." Pete says

"Right. Thanks." Ventus says

"And kid, don't you go forgettin'... Captain Justice is the one who solved all your problems. That would be Justice with a J." Pete says

"Uh, sure. I got it, Captain Justice." Ventus says

"Aww, phooey! This stinks! Now we can't open the ice cream shop!" A voice says

Pete and Ventus turn their attention toward Huey, Dewey, and Louie who were with Queen Minnie trying unsuccessfully to make ice-cream with a machine left by Scrooge McDuck.

"Trouble? Rescue is on the way!" Pete says heading over toward the group

"A festival, huh? Well, maybe I can make some new friends." Ventus says

Ventus walks over to the group to see if he could lend a hand.

"Well, if it ain't the last kid Captain Justice saved. 'Fraid you'll have to get in line. I'm working on another catastrophe here for these fellas, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, my good friends." Pete says

"Now I'd hardly call it a catastrophe." Minnie says

"Yeah, all we were trying to do was make some of our own special recipe ice cream." Huey says

"And we had a little trouble." Dewey says

"Come on, it's not that big a deal." Louie says

"I'm 100% positive you're the victims of sabotage!" Pete says

"Not even close! Quit trying makin' stuff up!" Dewey says

"It's just the ice cream machine." Louie says

"Unca Scrooge left it for us, but we can't figure out how it works 'cause it's so complicated." Huey says

"Aw we're sorry, Queen Minnie. We wanted you to be the first to try our special recipie ice cream." Dewey says

"Oh boys, it was very sweet of you to think of me." Minnie says

"We tried." Louie says hanging his head low

"Say no more. Leave it to me, one bowl of ice cream comin' right up!" Pete says

"You're just gonna make a mess. Leave it alone, Pete!" Dewey says

"That's Captain Justice!" Pete says

( _Moments later_ )

Pete tries to fix the machine multiple times, but all his attempts failed.

"This machine is busted. It just needs a good poundin'." Pete says pounding on the machine

"It does not!" Minnie says

"Hey, do you think I could give it a shot?" Ventus asks

"No, if Captain Justice can't fix it, there ain't nothin' you can do, kid." Pete says

"Maybe not, but there's no harm in trying." Ventus says

"Yeah! And better you than him. Here you go. These are the directions for the machine." Huey says

( _Moments later_ )

After a few keystrokes, Ventus finally sets the machine right.

"The machine's working. Thank you... oh, oh dear." Minnie says

Oh, Ventus. Just Ven is fine."

"Well, thank you, Ventus." Minnie says

"Way to go, Ven!" Huey says

"I see... We had to push this thingamajig the other way." Louie says

"Hey! I got an idea! We could let our customers make up their own favorite flavors of ice cream!" Dewey says

"Not with that machine. Well... the kid mighta got it to work this one time. But junk like that needs to get junked!" Pete says

"Don't you dare, Pete!" Minnie says

"Fine! But Captain Justice will return!" Pete says

After saying that, Pete runs off.

"About 'Captain Justice', you said his name was Pete?" Ventus asks

"Yeah, he's the biggest troublemaker in town!" Huey says

"I bet he's just callin' himself Captain Justice 'cause he wants to win the Million Dreams Award." Dewey says

"What's the Million Dreams Award?" Ventus asks

"That's one of the Dream Festival events. Everyone votes for who they think is the town's most exemplary citizen." Minnie says

"I get it. So that's what he meant by 'vote'." Ventus says

"And if ya win the award, ya get a really cool prize!" Huey says

"Oh, it's just a small token, nothing elaborate. The event is supposed to help us appreciate how much we all look out for each other everyday. That's the spirit of the award." Minnie says

"Well, that sounds nice enough." Ventus says

"Pete just wants to get his grubby hands on the prize." Huey says

"And he knows nobody's gonna vote for him if he puts his name on the ballot!" Dewey says

"But nobody's fooled!" Louie says

"Yeah!" Huey and Dewey say in unison

Huey, Dewey and Louie laugh.

"Wish somebody was lookin' out for me." Ventus says to himself with a smile

Feeling that it was time for him to move on, Ventus departed from Disney Town and continued his journey.

( _Moments later_ )

Shortly after Ventus had left, Aqua and Shara arrive in Disney Town, coming into the main plaza and were immediately greeted by Captain Justice aka Pete.

"Tada! Wearin' the mask of peace and hope... comes the fearless defender and hero of this town! It is me! Captain Justice!"

Aqua and Shara look at each other with a raised eyebrow and awkward looks on their faces. The two women shrug and began to walk away.

"Wha? Now listen, you pipsqueaks. I'm Captain Justice! Who are you to walk away whenst a bona fide hero is offerin' some help?" Pete says

"We're sorry, but we don't need any help." Shara says

"Somebody! Come quick!" A voice yells

Aqua and Shara look over to their left and saw Horace Horsecollar running from another street. He soon collapses, feeling exhausted.

"What's that? Trouble? Captain Justice to the rescue!" Pete says

"You? Well, that's a shame... Or is it? Maybe this job's perfect for you, Mr. Hero." Horace says

"What? Name your catastrophe!" Pete says

"Those annoyin' monsters have turned up again over in Fruitball Plaza. They're all yours now, Captain J." Horace says

"Monsters? Don't tell me the Unversed are here." Aqua says

"Monsters!? Well... that's too bad. Not on the list." Pete says

"We didn't know 'Bona fide heroes' got to pick." Shara says

"But I wouldn't stand a chance of survivn'-er, of fittin' em into my schedule." Pete says

"Gosh, I thought you said you were Captain Justice. You can't leave those menacing things runnin' on the loose. They're ruining Fruitball!" Horace says

Pete crosses his arms and looks away, pretending not to hear.

"Huh? Hark, do you hear that? Somebody's callin' for Captain Justice's help! Do not fear! I am on my way! Sounds like this catastrophe can't wait. But, uh, I'll be back here in a jiff!" Pete says

After saying that, Pete runs away.

"Oh, I'm sure you will, Captain Useless. But I don't think I'll stay here and hold my breath." Horace says

"We're anything but heroes, but maybe we could help, if you want." Shara says

"Would you? Oh, that'd be just jim-dandy! Someone needs to trounce those fiends at Fruitball and keep 'em away from the Plaza." Horace says

"We'll try." Aqua says

Shara and Aqua head over to Fruitball Plaza where as Horace stated the Unversed were on the loose. The Unversed that stood before the two Keyblade Masters were known as Shoegazers due to their bodies resembling a large, black boot with a spherical head peeking out at the top. Shara and Aqua both summoned their Keyblades into their hands and prepared to deal with the Unversed.

One of the Shoegazers attacked first by stomping toward Shara, intending to stomp on her head, but she cartwheels out of the way. Shara saw a large watermelon lying in the plaza and came up with an idea. She kicks the watermelon up with her right-foot and sends it flying toward the Unversed with a swing of her Keyblade. The large fruitball smashes into the Shoegazer, destroying it. After dealing with that Unversed, Shara directs her attention toward the rest of the Unversed. She looks over at a large grape and rushes toward it. She kicks it up into the air and brought her Keyblade down on it. The fruitball breaks into smaller grapes and hits at least five Shoegazers, taking each of them out.

Aqua heads over to a large apple and sends it up into the air with an uppercut. She then leaps up and sends it down toward the Unversed with a downward slash. The fruitball smashes down on a Shoegazer, crushing it. One Shoegaze tries to kick at Aqua, but she jumps over to the left, dodging the attack. Aqua heads over to a large pineapple, kicks it up into the air, and sends it toward the Unversed with a right-slash. The fruitball smashes into the few remaining Unversed, destroying them.

The Unversed were quickly defeated and the Fruitball Plaza was made peaceful.

"My, you sure taught those monsters a lesson. You're the real heroes in town, if you ask me." Horace says

As Horace congratulates the two female Keyblade Masters, Queen Minnie arrives with Pluto. Horace notices and bows before Queen Minnie.

"He's right, my dears. I couldn't agree more. Thank you so much." Minnie says

"Who are you?" Aqua asks

"I'm Minnie."

"And she's our Queen." Horace says

"Oh, please excuse us, your Majesty. Where are our manners? My name is Aqua."

"And my name is Shara. It is a pleasure to meet you, your Majesty."

Shara and Aqua both kneel before Queen Minnie, showing her their respect.

"There's no need to be so formal. Just call me Minnie."

Shara and Aqua rise to their feet upon hearing that.

"You see, I'm not sure I'm doing a very good job protecting my kingdom." Minnie says

"Oh, don't say that, Queen Minnie. We all know how hard it's been since the King set off the way he did. Don't you trouble yourself. Why we wouldn't even think of putting on our yearly Dream Festival if we thought there was the slightest chance anything might go wrong." Horace says

"Oh, you are very kind, Horace." Minnie says

"How 'bout that Pete though? Captain Justice my hide! You can't count on him for anything!" Horace says

"Wait... You're saying his real name is Pete?" Aqua asks

"Well, it sure isn't sugar 'Justice'. Pete never does anythin' for anybody except Pete. That getup is just an act, to get folks to vote for him. He wants to win the Million Dreams Award and hog the prize." Horace says

"Million Dreams Award? What is that?" Shara asks

"It's part of our Dream Festival. We all vote for who we think is the most admirable citizen is. But Pete seems to think he has the wrong idea. He thinks that dressing up as a hero proclaiming that he is one will win him votes. What really makes someone a hero isn't what they wear or what they say, it's the things they do and how they treat everyone." Minnie says

"Well, in my book, Aqua and Shara here are number one. You both got my heartfelt vote." Horace says taking hold of Shara and Aqua's hands

Shara and Aqua both giggle.

"Thanks, Horace. I promise. We'll try not to let you down." Aqua says

"See to it that you don't. My vote is very important." Horace says

"Oh dear, he sounds serious." Minnie says

"Being popular is tough." Shara giggles

( _Moments later_ )

Everyone in Disney Town gathered around to see who would win the Million Dreams Award. Huey, Dewey, and Louie were in attendance. Chip and Dale were also in attendance. Even Shara, Aqua, and Horace attended the event.

"Who do you think's gonna win this year's Million Dreams Award?" Horace asks

"Boy oh boy! I hope it's the guys I voted for!" Chip says

"I voted for them too!" Dale says

"Now that we got so much business at the shop, maybe we'll be number one!" Huey says

"Wow, Unca Scrooge sure would be proud of us if we actually won!" Dewey says

"Yeah, I bet Unca Donald would be pretty surprised, too." Louie says

Soon, Queen Minnie and Daisy walk up on stage.

"Hello, everyone and thank you for waiting. Now, it's time to begin the main event of our Dream Festival, the Million Dreams Award presentation." Minnie says

Not amongst the crowd, Pete aka Captain Justice watched the event with confidence that he'd win.

"Heh! Just skip to the part where you say my name. This is a shoo-in!" Pete says

"Oh, how very exciting! This year, we have multiple winners. The Million Dreams Award goes to...Ventus, Aqua, Terra, Shara, and Ducar. All five of you!" Minnie says

Horace, Huey, Dewey, Louie, Chip and Dale all cheer. Shara and Aqua were both surprised to hear Minnie mention the names of their friends.

"You mean Ven and Terra were here?" Aqua asks

"And my husband? Ducar? He was here too?" Shara asks

"Whaddya mean!?" Pete exclaims

Pete rushes past Shara and Aqua and made his way up on stage.

"There's gotta be a mistake! Everybody voted for Captain Justice. I made sure!" Pete says rushing up on stage

Pete turns and faces the crowd.

"Now, go on! Tell her!" Pete says

Everyone remains silent.

"Better try the other one." Pete says

Pete quickly heads off stage and switches costumes. He soon came back wearing his other disguise.

"The rogue racer, Captain Dark!"

Still, everyone remained silent and they all turned away.

"Pete, we all counted the votes very carefully. Ventus, Aqua, Terra, Shara, and Ducar won. Oh Pete, I think you tried to do something good, but you were doing it for the wrong reasons, and you went about it the wong way. Still, a couple of citizens must have thought you had goodness in you, because you actually got a few votes. They knew you were looking out for them." Minnie says

"Big whoop! I don't need their lousy votes. Just cough up my prize!" Pete says

"Pete! They voted for you because they believe in you and care about you. How could you look down on that? I've tried to forgive a lot of things you've done, but this is too much. Now you've finally crossed the line." Minnie says

"Like that matters to me! Besides, what are you gonna do about it?" Pete says

"Ha! I'm gonna let you cool off for a while. Guards!" Minnie says

"W-wait. What?" Pete says

Six magic brooms walk up on stage, lift Pete off his feet, and carry him away.

"Hey! Let me go! Put me down! What!? You can't-no-hey, easy!" Pete says

As soon as Pete was gone, the ceremony resumed.

"Now, shall we continue with the ceremony? Would the five winners, Ventus, Aqua, Terra, Ducar, and Shara, please come up and join me on the stage." Minnie says

Shara and Aqua head up on stage as requested. Minnie looked around and saw that Ventus, Terra, and Ducar weren't here.

"Oh dear, it looks like our other three winners couldn't make it to be here with us today." Minnie says

"We must've just missed them." Aqua says with a bit of sadness in her face

Even Shara had slight sad expression on her face, seeing that she had missed her beloved husband.

"Perhaps you would both accept the award on their behalf? After all, you've been so kind to so many here at the Dream Festival. So now, I hereby present the Million Dreams Award as a token of how much you both matter to us. Congratulations!" Minnie says

Horace, Huey, Dewey, Louie, Chip and Dale all cheer for the two female Keyblade Masters.

"And as an extra treat, we've created something special, an ice cream just for you. Royalberry Ice Cream!" Minnie says

Minnie and Daisy both hold out ice cream cones of Royalberry Ice Cream to Shara and Aqua.

"Oh, my. I wish I had my own ice cream flavor." Horace says

"What's it taste like?" Chip asks

"Go on! Try it!" Dale says

Shara and Aqua take a bite of their own ice cream and they both like it.

"What do you think?" Minnie asks

"Delicious! You couldn't have picked a better flavor." Aqua says

"Yeah. It's really good. I'm sure my son would love this." Shara says

Minnie giggles.

"We're all very glad you enjoyed it." Minnie says

Horace, Huey, Dewey, Louie, Chip and Dale all cheer again.

( _Elsewhere_ )

Pete found himself banished in the Lanes Between in an unknown area where darkness was all around him.

"Who does she think she is dumping me in a place like this? Well, I'll just bust out of here and-" Pete says

"Quiet, fool! You do not possess that kind of power." A female voice says

"Who... Who's there! Show yourself!" Pete shouts

"That is enough! Stop your sniveling and heed my words." The voice says

"Um... okay." Pete says

"If you do exactly as I say, I may decide to release you from this prison." The voice says

"Really!? Oh, then you can count on me. Just get me outta here, and you can tell me what to do!" Pete says

"A very wise choice indeed." The voice says

A corridor of darkness opens up behind Pete.

"Now... proceed. With your help, soon every world in existence will all be mine!" The voice says

Pete steps into the dark corridor and disappears into the darkness.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Here's Disney Town! Ventus, Aqua, Terra, Ducar, and Shara decide to visit Disney Town and lend a helping hand. Although their visits were short, they participate in the Dream Festival and Aqua and Shara win the Million Dreams Award. Anyone care to guess who helps Pete escape? Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	28. The Olympus Coliseum

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _Olympus Coliseum_ )

Ventus arrives in a town near Thebes, walking into the plaza. He then notices Phil running past him and stopping to catch his breath. It appeared as though he was running from something or someone.

"Oy, the kid is relentless." Phill says

"Hey, whatcha doin' there?" Ventus asks

Phil jumps upon hearing Ventus' voice. He quickly turned around and faced him.

"I told ya, I'm booked solid. N-O spells forget it!" Phill says

Phil soon realized who he was talking to.

"Huh? And who Halicarnassus in are you? Can't you see I'm busy?" Phil asks

"Hey, Phil! I'm all signed up! Phil!" A male voice says

Ventus and Phil looked over to the side and saw young Hercules running toward them.

"All right, Herc, I hear ya! Now would ya keep it down already." Phil says

"Aha!" Another voice says

The trio looked over and saw a young soldier dressed in armor, wearing a gladiator helmet approaching them.

"Beautiful... You happy now? You blew my cover!" Phill says

"Okay, 'fess up. I asked around, and everybody says you're the guy. The trainer of heroes!" The soldier says

"True heroes!" Hercules says

"Really? You can teach that?" Ventus asks

"Course he can. C'mon, Phil, please. I really wanna be a hero." The soldier says

"Look, we've been through this... I got two words for you: student-teacher ratio!" Phil says

Ventus counted his fingers based on what Phil just said.

"One... Two... Um?" Ventus says

"I already got my hands full with this one." C'mon, Herc." Phil says

Phil began to walk away with Hercules by his side.

"I'm low-maintenance, I swear!" The soldier says

Just as Hercules and Phil were about to leave, a swarm of Flood Unversed emerged from the shadows infront of them.

"Unversed!" Ventus exclaims

"Monster, huh..." The soldier says

Ventus and the soldier rushed over and stood in a circle with Hercules as more Unversed appeared.

"Hey Phil! Watch this! I'll show ya what I'm made of." The soldier says

"And I'll help, too!" Herc says

Phil ran to safety while the three boys braced themselves for a fight against the Unversed.

Ventus swings his Keyblade down on one Flood, strikes another Flood with an uppercut, then hits another Flood with a spinning slash. Two Flood tried to attack Ventus both at once, but he throws his Keyblade toward them. The Keyblade slices through the first Flood, then flies back around and slices through the other Flood.

The soldier swings his sword down on one Flood, slicing it in half, then hits another Flood with an uppercut. The soldier looked over to his right and saw three more Flood stalking toward him. Seeing this, he takes his sword and slams it down on the ground, creating a shockwave which travels across the ground toward the Unversed, taking them out.

Hercules takes out one Flood with a strong punch, but kinda lost his balance and stumbled a bit. He quickly regained his stance and took out another Flood with an uppercut.

The three boys soon began mopping up the last of the Unversed. Ventus brought his Keyblade down on a Flood while the soldier took out another Flood with a swipe of his sword. Hercules lost his balance a bit, but he takes out the last remaining Flood with a punch.

Once all the Unversed were defeated, Ventus, Hercules, and the soldier met up. They soon saw Phil walking toward them.

"Okay... Change of plans. The Games are comin' up. So, I'm gonna watch both of your matches... then I'll decide which of you rookies I wanna train." Phil says

"Sweet! Thank you, thank you! I'm gonna go sign up right now." The soldier says feeling excited

"The Games, huh? Sounds fun." Ventus says feeling excited himself

Ventus began to run off toward the coliseum, but Phil spoke out to him.

"Sorry, kid. Captain Eager there just took the last spot." Phil says

Ventus stopped where he was and felt rather disappointed upon hearing that.

"I don't understand! Phil, I thought you were my trainer!" Herc says

"You wanna be a true hero, Herc? Then you're gonna hafta go out there and show me that everything I've taught you so far is gonna pay off." Phil says

"But, Phil..." Hercules says

"Oh, and no more training sessions for a while. Wouldn't be fair if I helped you and not him." Phil says

"Hey, cheer up! So you gotta fight a couple of matches, no big deal." Ventus says

Ventus walks up to Hercules and introduces himself.

"I'm Ventus. Want me to help you train?"

"You'd really do that for me?" Hercules asks

"Sure." Ventus says

"Thanks, Ventus. I'm Hercules. Herc for short."

Hercules holds out his hand to Ventus who happily shakes his hand.

"Just call me Ven. You're gonna do fine!"

"Thanks. I'm gonna head over to the Coliseum and warm up. Meet me in the vestibule, okay?" Hercules says

Hercules went up ahead to the coliseum and Ventus followed him. Once he got to the coliseum gates, he was amazed by the sight of the place.

"Wow." Ventus says

After taking in the sights around him, Ventus went inside and met Hercules in the lobby.

"So, Ven, are you ready for some training?" Hercules asks

"Yeah! Let's get started!" Ventus says feeling excited

With that said, Ventus and Hercules went into the arena and set up a couple of urns in the ring. Over the next few minutes, they began their training, smashing the urns to pieces. Hercules punched his way through the urns while Ventus smashed them with his Keyblade. While Hercules continued smashing the urns, Ventus looked up at the stands and saw Phil watching them, then walked away.

( _Moments later_ )

After a few minutes of training, Ventus and Hercules took a break inside the coliseum lobby.

"You wanna become a true hero, huh?" Ventus asks

"More than anything. See, my father is Zeus, the king of the gods up on Olympus." Hercules says

"Whoa! Herc, you're a god?" Ventus asks

"No, no. I'm mortal. When I was a baby, somebody stole me from my parents, and... figured out how to take away my godhood." Hercules says

"And this true hero thing?" Ventus asks

"It's the only way I can become a god again. If I become a true hero, I can rejoin my father and go back to Olympus." Hercules says

"Wow... I guess you've really got your work cut out for you." Ventus says

"But what about you? How come you're here?" Hercules asks

"I'm... I'm just trying to make some friends." Ventus says

"Well, hey! You've done that already. C'mon, we're friends, aren't we?" Hercules says

"You bet, Herc." Ventus says

Ventus and Hercules both saw the soldier they had met earlier enter the room and then they saw Phil walking in.

"All right, you bunch of rookies. It's time we go over the rules of the Games, so listen up. All the matches are divided into two brackets: one for the East and one for the West. The winners from each bracket go head-to-head in the championship match. Now, I signed you two up up for the West... 'cause they already got some heavy-hittin' contenders cleanin' up over there in the East bracket. And if you wanna beat 'em, you're gonna hafta hustle in there. Now move those sandals." Phil says

While Hercules and the soldier followed Phil to the arena, Ventus stood where he was thinking about those heavy-hitting contenders Phil mentioned.

"Heavy-hitting contenters?" Ventus asks crossing his arms

As he stood there pondering, Ventus heard Hercules calling out to him.

"Ven! C'mon!" Hercules calls

"Oh! Okay!" Ventus says

Ventus headed out into the arena and took up a seat in the stands as he watched Hercules and the soldier fight through the matches. Their opponents in the matches were Unversed, but they both came out on top.

"Guess we made it." Ventus says

"Yeah. And it's all thanks to you, Ven." Hercules says

"Good! The other kid will be happy to hear that." Phil says

"No! I need you most of all, Phil! How else am I gonna become a hero?" Hercules says

"Hmph! 'Bout time you got it!" Phil says

After saying that, Phill walks away. As he does, the soldier comes running in toward Ventus and Hercules.

"Whoever wins, no hard feelings." The soldier says holding his hand out to Hercules

Hercules grabs hold of the soldier's hand and shakes in agreement.

"Course not. Holding a grudge wouldn't be very heroic." Hercules says

"Hey, just making sure. You're not a hero yet." The soldier says

"True." Hercules says with a laugh

Ventus went back up to the stands and watched as Hercules and the soldier stood into the ring. Within moments, the fight began with Hercules going for the attack. He tried to hit the soldier with a punch, but he leaps back a good feet away from Hercules, making him miss. The soldier then came back at Hercules, leaping up into the air with his sword raised over his head. He tried to slam his sword down on Hercules, but he jumps back, avoiding the attack. Hercules tried to hit the soldier with a charging punch, but he leaps over him with a somersault.

"This is really close." Ventus says

As he watched Hercules and the soldier fight, he could see a vision of Aqua and Terra fighting in their place. Suddenly, he heard Phil's voice talking which snapped him back into reality.

"Hey! We got trouble! There's monsters loose in town and if they gate-crash the Games, you can forget about the match." Phil says

"Real monsters?" Hercules asks

"We have to stop 'em." The soldier says

Ventus summons his Keyblade into his right-hand and he personally volunteered to deal with the situation.

"Leave the monsters to me! This match is too important!" Ventus says

Ventus heads out into the town and he encountered some Jellyshade Unversed.

"You won't get past me! Huh!?" Ventus says

Ventus looked up and saw dozens of Jellyshades float down into the town. Ventus was stunned as to how many Unversed he had to deal with. He then saw Hercules run up to his side, standing on his left.

"Herc?! What about your match?!" Ventus exclaims

"Forget the match. No way I could let my friend fight alone. 'Cause I'm a hero! I mean, ya know... I'm gonna be one. Come on, let's finish this together!" Hercules says

The battle soon started with a few Jellyshades charging at Ventus, but he cuts then down with a couple of quick slashes from his Keyblade. Afterwards, Ventus hurls his Keyblade toward the Jellyshades, which was enveloped in a white light. Upon contact with a Jellyshade, the Keyblade splits apart into several beams of light which flew off in all directions, disintegrating a couple of the Unversed around him. The Keyblade soon returns to Ventus' hand in a flash of light. Ventus threw his Keyblade at the Unversed again, letting the wind guide it toward the dark creatures. The Keyblade flew around, slicing through dozens of Unversed before it returned to Ventus' hand.

One Jellyshade charges at Hercules, but he takes it out with a strong punch. Another Jellyshade charges at Hercules, but he destroys it with a rising uppercut.

Ventus and Hercules stood back to back as the Unversed surrounded them. They both looked back at each other and nodded. In that moment, Ventus jumps up and Hercules grabs him by his legs. The two began spinning around, demolishing the Unversed. Hercules soon lets go of Ventus, sending him flying into a bunch of Jellyshades.

Ventus draws his Keyblade back and began charging up with energy. He then leaps into the air and slams his Keyblade down on the ground, creating a large rippling shockwave of light which destroys the Unversed around him. Next, Ventus raises his Keyblade into the air and summons a powerful tornado which sucks in several Jellyshades and sends them flying. Then, Ventus draws his Keyblade back and began charging up energy again. This also created a magnetic force which pulled numerous Jellyshades toward him. Once the Unversed were up close, Ventus performs a powerful spin attack, destroying the Unversed all at once. He then summoned several columns of light, which destroys the last of the Unversed.

All of the Unversed were destroyed and the town was made peaceful again.

"Sorry that I made you miss that match, Herc." Ventus says looking down

"Aw, c'mon. You don't have to apologize. It was totally my decision." Hercules says

Ventus looked up and was shocked to see a Jellyshade heading straight for Hercules while his back was turned. Just before it could reach him, the soldier arrives and takes out the Unversed with a downward slash from his sword.

"What? You didn't save any for me?" The soldier asks

"Hey, you're here." Hercules says

"Hey, I've set my sights on being a hero, too. I just don't run as fast, that's all." The soldier says

"So you both threw the match? Who won then?" Ventus asks

"I left first, so it's not me." Hercules says

"Yeah, but I was only seconds behind you." The soldier says

"Still." Hercules says

The trio soon saw Phil walking towards them.

"Hey! I never said I'd coach the winner. All I said was I'd see the match, then decide. Look, bein' a hero takes more than just muscle. Ya gotta have heart and care about people. And sure, you both get high marks for that. But this time, only one of you cared fast enough, and that makes all the difference." Phil says

"Then, that means..." Ventus says

"Oh man, I was this close! Uhh... Well, that's life. I never really introduced myself." The soldier says

The soldier removes his helmet and introduces himself.

"The name's Zack. Congratulations, Herc."

"Thanks, Zack." Hercules says

"Yeah well, we'll see if you're still thanking him when I'm through with you. You got a long road ahead of ya, champ." Phil says

"Hey, don't count me out. I've still got plenty of big dreams to go with my lousy luck!" Zack says doing three squats

Hercules and Zack both laugh. As they did, Ventus lowers himself down to Phil.

"Okay, be honest... You weren't really gonna stop training Herc, were you?" Ventus asks

"Nah, of course not. I know that kid's gonna go the distance. But he was stuck in a rut. He just needed a little incentive. It's Ventus, right? Well, thanks to you, Herc here has really shaped up. I owe ya." Phil says

"Nah, I'm glad. I made a really good friend. Somebody to share a laugh with. Like Terra, Aqua, Shara, and Ducar. We'll patch things up." Ventus says

Feeling that his visit at the Olympus Coliseum was done, Ventus decided to take his leave. Hercules saw this and spoke out to Ventus.

"You're leaving?" Hercules asks

"Yeah. My journey's not over yet." Ventus says

"But you'll visit, right?" Hercules asks

"I'll stop by once you're a true hero." Ventus says

"Stop by once me and him are both heroes!" Zack says

"Oh, so you mean never come back?" Ventus teases

"Hey, watch it!" Zack says wrapping his right-arm around Ventus

Ventus, Zack, Hercules, and Phil all laughed.

( _Moments later_ )

Shortly after Ventus left, Terra and Ducar arrive at the town and saw Hercules being attacked by a swarm of Flood Unversed with a Buckle Bruiser leading them. The Buckle Bruiser lands a punch to Hercules, knocking him down to the ground. Terra and Ducar both immediately rush to aid Hercules with the Unversed. Hercules was about to get up and continue his fight with the Unversed, but then he saw Terra and Ducar move infront of him with their Keyblades drawn.

"Stay back." Terra says

"We'll handle this." Ducar says

The two men charge at the Unversed while Hercules watches them fight.

Ducar brought his Keyblade down on a Flood, slicing in half. Another Flood leaps at him with it's claws, but Ducar swings his Keyblade with a backflip, delivering a rising uppercut which destroys the Unversed. Then, Ducar delivers a spinning slash to another Flood, slicing it in half across it's body.

Terra lunges his Keyblade at a Flood and destroys it with a charging strike. Next, he delivers a strong uppercut to another Flood, knocking it into the air. From there, Terra leaps up at the Unversed and sends it back down to the ground with a downward slash. As he falls toward the ground, Terra raises his Keyblade over his head and slammed it down on the last remaining Flood, sending it into oblivion.

With the Flood Unversed finished, all that was left was the Buckle Bruiser.

The Buckle Bruiser tosses both it's shields at Terra and Ducar, but the two men duck down, dodging the shields. The Unversed then tries to attack with a lunging strike. Terra and Ducar both jump over to the sides, avoiding the Buckle Bruiser's lunge.

Terra leaps forward at the Buckle Bruiser with an overhead strike. The attack lands a hit to the back of the Unversed, making it stumble forward. After hitting the Unversed, Terra follows up with four left and right slashes, two spinning slashes, and a strong downward slash. The Buckle Bruiser tries to hit Terra with a shield punch, but he leaps away from the blow, making it hit nothing but air.

Ducar rushes in and strikes the Unversed with three intense slashes, swinging his Keyblade left and right. He then twirls his Keyblade in his hand and follows up with a downward slash going down it's back. The Buckle Bruiser turns around and tries to hit Ducar with a shield punch. Reacting quickly, Ducar jumps back and avoids being hit by the Unversed. Ducar runs toward the Buckle Bruiser and slices through it's body with a right-slash. He then turns his Keyblade over and stabs the Unversed through it's back, making it disintegrate.

Once the Unversed were taken care of, Terra and Ducar turn their attention to Hercules.

"Are you alright?" Ducar asks

"Yeah, thanks." Hercules says

Ducar offers his right-hand to Hercules, who gladly grabs hold, and pulls him up to his feet.

"Guess they were too much for me. I'm just gonna have to train harder. You're both pretty tough. You really handled those things. Are you both here to enter the Games?" Hercules says

"What games?" Terra asks

"The 'Games' games. To see who's the strongest. One day, I'm gonna win 'em all and become a true hero." Hercules says

Suddenly, the trio heard Phil's voice calling out for Hercules.

"Herc, where are ya? Front and center right now, or I'm tackin' on another 1,000 laps!" Phil says

"Uh-oh. Gotta go. The Coliseum's just up ahead. I hope I get to see you fight there sometime!" Hercules says

Hercules quickly ran off toward the coliseum while Terra and Ducar stood pondering to themselves.

"A competition..." Terra says

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to see how strong we are. Let's go check it out." Ducar says

Terra nods in agreement and the two Keyblade Wielders headed up to the coliseum. At the coliseum, Hades walks out the gates, devising a scheme to defeat Zeus.

"Geez Louise, one chump after another. It's like a who's who of decathlon disasters around here. All I need is one measly warrior tough enough to give Zeus a jolt of his own medicine!" Hades says

Hades was about to take his leave when he saw Terra and Ducar looking up at the ranking boards. As he looked at the two men, an idea came into Hades' mind.

"Wait... Dark, moody, powerful. Yes! They're perfect!" Hades says

"This is it." Terra says

"How sad is this? Pains me to see it." Hades says

Terra and Ducar both looked around upon hearing Hades' voice. They soon notice he was standing right next to them.

"All that power going to waste." Hades says

"And who might you be?" Ducar asks

"Name is Hades, Lord of the Dead, god of the Underworld, yadda yadda, how ya doin'. Hey, lemme guess, you're trying to put the kibosh on the darkness inside you. Am I right? Of course I'm right. Well, anyway, bad idea."

"Wait, what?" Terra asks

"Come again?" Ducar asks

"Okay, stay with me here, darkness is inside... everyone. Nothing to be ashamed of. You play nice with it, and darkness will be your best friend. But if you go and get all self-conscious and refuse to face it, the darkness will run over you like a debutante at a toga sale. And then where are you? Nowhere." Hades says

Hades places both his hands on Terra and Ducar's shoulders.

"Now me, I look at you two and I see potential. That's right. You both got the potential to conquer the darkness inside you. And I'll even give you some pointers. I mean, believe me, if anybody knows conquering, I know conquering." Hades says

"Then, let's hear it then." Terra says

"How do we conquer the darkness?" Ducar asks

"Easy. You sign up for the Games. I know, I know. _'Please, Lord Hades, the Games?'_ But hey, you would be surprised what you can learn in the heat of battle. And don't worry. I'll be right there to guide you both every step of the way. I'm kinda what you'd call an expert in the art of darkness." Hades says

Hades began walking toward the gates of the coliseum.

"Oh, decide fast. This is a limited-time offer." Hades says

While Hades walks into the coliseum, Terra and Ducar both stood pondering to themselves, deciding whether or not they should take up his offer.

"If he knows how to conquer the darkness, then maybe we should enter the games." Terra says

"I'm not so sure we should trust him, Terra. He seems very suspicious. It's almost as if he's planning something." Ducar says

"If there is a way to defeat the darkness inside me, I'm taking it." Terra says

"Believe me, Terra. I want to conquer the darkness in my heart just as much as you do. But all I'm saying is let's be cautious. Remember what happened when we trusted Maleficent or the Queen?" Ducar says

"I do. Listen, if Hades is planning something suspicious, then we'll put him in his place." Terra says

"Alright. I'll take your word for it. C'mon." Ducar says

Having made their decision, Terra and Ducar entered the coliseum lobby and approached Hades.

"So, gentlemen, are we gonna close this deal or what?" Hades asks

"Yes. We've made our decision." Ducar says

"When are you going to tell us how to conquer the darkness?" Terra asks

"Hold your chariot horses." Hades says

Hades holds his hands out and a piece of parchment and a feather quill appeared in a puff of smoke.

"You would not believe the bureaucracy involved with these things. Name?" Hades says

"Terra."

"Ducar."

"Kinda earthy, kinda regular, but all right. Now, height and weight... What's this? _'Favorite god'_? Pfft, come on. _'Hades.'_ There, ba-boom. Easy peasy." Hades says

Having finished the paperwork, the parchment and feather quill disappear in the same puff of smoke.

"I sense that you're already starting to get all warm and fuzzy with that darkness inside you. It's sweet, really. And hey, by the time you both win the final match here, you'll have figured out how to conquer it for good. And don't worry, if anything goes wrong, I'll make it all go away. Service with a smile." Hades says

"I got it." Terra says

Terra went out to the arena with Ducar who stopped at the doorway for a brief second, looking back at Hades before catching up with Terra. Hades held a sinister smile on his face as he watched the two men head out to the arena.

Terra and Ducar stood into the ring and began their first match. Their opponents were six Scrapper Unversed.

Terra leapt forward at one of the Scrappers and brought his Keyblade down on it with a downward slash. Next, he raises his Keyblade over his right-shoulder and strikes another Scrapper with a diagonal slash. Then, Terra attacks a third Scrapper with two spinning slashes followed by a powerful overhead strike.

Ducar sprints forward at a Scrapper and hits it with an uppercut, a right-kick to it's stomach, and a right-slash across it's chest, cutting it down. Next, he delivers two roundhouse slashes to another Scrapper. Then, he slams his Keyblade down on the last remaining Scrapper, finishing the match.

With Round 1 over, Terra and Ducar move onto Round 2. Their opponents in this round was a Bruiser and a small Unversed known as a Vile Phial because of it's body resembling an hourglass-shaped phial.

Terra charges forward at the Bruiser and delivers a lunging strike at it's belly. His blow bounced off the Bruiser's belly, making him flinch. The Bruiser charges at Terra and tries to hit him with it's glowing belly, but Terra jumps over the Unversed with a somersault. He soon lands behind the Unversed and quickly spins around, striking it's back with three intense slashes. Then, Terra strikes the Bruiser with a downward slash. The Unversed falls forward onto the ground and disintegrates.

The Vile Phial tries to attack Terra while his back was turned, but Ducar hurls his Keyblade up at the Unversed with a horizontal toss, destroying it right on the spot.

With Round 2 done, the two men continue onto Round 3. Their opponents in this round were another breed of Unversed known as Spiderchests due to their treasure chest bodies and three bladed legs.

One of the Spiderchests started the match by charging forward at the two men in an attempt to chomp at them. Terra and Ducar both jump over to the sides, dodging the attack.

Terra hits one of the Spiderchests with two cross slashes, then brings his Keyblade downward, slamming the Unversed into the ground. The other Spiderchest spews a glob of poison at Terra, but he jumps back, dodging the poison spit. Terra comes back at the Unversed leaping forward and he lunges his Keyblade into the chest's mouth, destroying it.

Now all that was left for this match was Ducar and his Spiderchest. Before Ducar could do anything, the Unversed burrows down into the ground, hiding from view. Ducar looked around, searching for the Unversed. He then looked down and saw cracks forming underneath him. Reacting quickly, Ducar moved out of the way just as the Spiderchest emerged from the ground. Ducar sprints toward the Unversed, leaps up into the air, and plunges his Keyblade down on the Spiderchest, taking it out.

Having finished Round 3, the two Keyblade Wielders proceeded to Round 4. Their opponents in this round was a single Buckle Bruiser.

Ducar and Terra both charged at the Unversed and attacked in unison. Terra leaped forward at the Buckle Bruiser and slammed his Keyblade down on it's chest, making it stagger back. He then follows up with three spinning slashes, making the Unversed stagger back even further. With the Unversed left stunned by Terra's blows, Ducar rushes forward and stabs his Keyblade into it's chest. The Buckle Bruiser falls down on it's back and disappears in a puff of black smoke.

After making short work of Round 4, Terra and Ducar move down to Round 5. Their opponents in this round was a group of Unversed consisting of five Shoegazers.

Terra made the first move by leaping high up into the air with his Keyblade raised over his head. He charges up with energy, then slams his Keyblade down into the ground, summoning a barrage of meteors which crashes down on the Unversed, finishing the match in an instant.

After doing away with Round 5, the two men came into Round 6. Their opponents in this round was a group of floating Unversed known as Red Hot Chili and Blue Sea Salt due to their bodies resembling pots and their red and blue colors.

Ducar steps forward and holds his Keyblade infront of him. Light and darkness began to swirl around Ducar as he charged up with energy. Within moments, Ducar crosses his arms, then thrusts them out, creating an anti-gravity field which sends all of the Unversed flying in all directions. They bounce off the walls of the anti-gravity field and eventually disappear.

With Round 6 over, Terra and Ducar move onto Round 7. Their opponents in this round were three Buckle Bruisers.

Before the Unversed could make a move, Terra raises his Keyblade into the air, summoning a giant meteor which comes crashing down from the sky. Upon impact with the ground, the meteor explodes, obliterating the Unversed, thus ending the match.

With Round 7 finished, the two Keyblade Wielders proceeded to Round 8. Their opponents in this round were two Monotruckers and two other Unversed known as Chrono Twisters because of hourglass-shaped bodies.

One of the Monotruckers attacked first by dashing towards Ducar with it's pickaxes ready to stab him. The Unversed soon reached Ducar and swinged it's pickaxes down at him. Ducar quickly jumped back, dodging the attack. The Monotrucker came at Ducar again with a spin attack, but he leaps away, dodging it as well. Ducar countered with a leaping strike, slamming his Keyblade down on the Unversed.

After the Monotrucker was destroyed, one of the Chrono Twisters summoned multiple orbs of dark energy around Ducar who immediately took notice. They try to smash in on the Keyblade Wielder, but he quickly jumps up into the air, making them smash into each other. Ducar came down at the Unversed with his Keyblade raised over his right-shoulder and sliced it in half.

All that was left now was Terra and the two Unversed that stood before him.

Before Terra could make a move, the Monotrucker dashes straight toward him in a frontal charge. Terra gripped his Keyblade in his hand and braced himself as the Unversed drew closer. As soon as it was in reach, the Keyblade Wielder delivers a roundhouse strike to the Unversed, slamming his Keyblade down on it.

The Chrono Twister hovered towards Terra in an attempt to attack him. Before it could do anything, Terra stood up from his crouched stance and threw his Keyblade at the Unversed with a right-diagonal toss. The Keyblade smashed through the hourglass-shaped body of the Unversed, leaving cracks in it's body. It then flew back around and sliced the Unversed into oblivion before Terra caught his Keyblade back in his right-hand.

Having completed Round 8, the two men went onto Round 9. Their opponents in this round was a group of six Unversed known as Mandrakes due to their leaf-like blades on their heads.

The Mandrakes started the match first by firing razor sharp leaves from their heads at the two men. Terra and Ducar both deflected the leaves off their Keyblades, sending them away from them. The two men sprint toward the Unversed and attack.

Ducar attacks the first Mandrake in his view with a forward leaping strike, raising his Keyblade over his head and slamming it down on the Unversed, slicing it in half. Next, he delivers a rising uppercut to a second Mandrake, performing a backflip. Then, he attacks a third Unversed with two spinning slashes and an overhead strike which slams it into the ground.

Terra lunges his Keyblade at a Mandrake with a thrusting charge, then cuts it down with a right-slash. He moves onto the next Unversed and attacks it with a spinning slash, slicing it in half. The last remaining Unversed tried to ram into Terra, but he counters with an uppercut while performing a backflip, knocking the Unversed into the air. Then, Terra brings his Keyblade down on the Mandrake with a forward somersault, finishing the match.

After finishing Round 9, Terra and Ducar came down to Round 10. Their opponents in this round was a large group of Jellyshades.

The Jellyshades all began floating toward the two men. Ducar stepped forward and closed his eyes, holding his Keyblade infront of him. He then began levitating in mid-air. His Keyblade floated infront of him while he crouches down and crosses his arms. As this was happening, all of the Unversed were being sucked towards Ducar. Within moments, Ducar thrusts his body outwards, creating a large spherical telekinetic explosion which disintegrates the Unversed, thus ending the match.

Hades watched from inside the coliseum lobby and he was not liking what he was seeing.

"Okay... this is not what I had in mind. But hey, I can improvise. Time for plan beta..." Hades says

As Hades stood there thinking of another plan, Zack walks past him wearing his helmet.

"Pardon me, comin' through. I'm gonna miss my match." Zack says

As soon as he saw Zack walk past him, an idea immediately popped into Hades' brain.

"Hello, plan beta. Hey, kid! Over here!" Hades says

Zack turned around and watched as Hades approached him, unaware of his plot.

( _Moments later_ )

Terra and Ducar both stood in the ring awaiting their final opponent. As they stood there, they both thought about the darkness in their hearts. Both men were determined to be rid of it once and for all.

 _"Once I've conquered the darkness in my heart, I'll never have to be afraid of it again."_ Terra thought to himself

 _"Once my heart is freed from the darkness, I can finally become a Keyblade Master, and I'll can finally return home to my family. To my wife. And to my son."_ Ducar thought to himself

The two men looked up and saw their opponent: Zack. They both summoned their Keyblades into their hands while Zack took out his sword.

Zack made the first move by trying to close the gap with a jumping, downward thrust. Reacting quickly, Terra and Ducar both jump back, dodging the attack. Then, Zack lunges his sword at Ducar with a thrusting strike, but he leaps over to the left, making him miss.

Terra rushes forward at Zack and raises his Keyblade over his head to strike with a downward slash, but the soldier jumps back a good feet away just as he strikes, making him hit nothing except the ground. Zack points his sword at Terra and launches a dark fireball at him. Terra saw the dark fireball heading straight for him and he dashes over to the right, swiftly evading the fiery projectile. He then dashes toward Zack, knocks him into the air with an uppercut, and smacks him back down to the ground with his Keyblade. Zack lands on his feet and slides back across the ring after recieving the hit. Terra lands crouched down on the ground while Ducar moves in to strike.

Ducar sprints toward Zack, leaps up into the air, and raises his Keyblade over his right-shoulder with both hands. Within moments, he brought his Keyblade down on Zack, landing a hit to his chest which sent him sliding back across the ring. The soldier came back at Ducar with two diagonal slashes, swinging his sword left and right over his shoulders. Ducar easily blocked against the blows, holding his Keyblade opposite of Zack's sword. The soldier then tried to attack with a right-slash aimed at Ducar's chest, but the Keyblade Wielder jumped back, evading the blow. Ducar countered the attack with a roundhouse slash, landing another hit to Zack's chest, which knocked him back a few feet away.

Zack stumbled a bit after recieving the blow. He soon collapsed onto the ground, defeated. His helmet came off his head and it rolled across ground reaching the feet of the two men. Having completed their match, Terra and Ducar both turned around to leave the ring. As the two Keyblade Wielders walked away, Zack rose up onto his feet. Terra and Ducar soon stopped and felt something was wrong. They turned around and saw Zack standing with his sword held in both hands. The two men were shocked to see Zack up, but what they saw next shocked them even more. A dark aura began to envelope Zack's body and he charges at the two men with his sword poised to strike. Zack tried to swing his sword at Terra, but he knocked away the blow with his Keyblade.

"Stop it! The match is over!" Terra yells

"What are you doing? Stop this!" Ducar yells

Terra leans his body away as Zack attacks with three more slashes. He then brought his sword down on Terra who instinctively held up his Keyblade in defense, forcing the two into a blade-lock.

 _"He was a pushover before. What's gotten into him?"_ Terra thought to himself

 _"This doesn't make any sense. Why is he still fighting? He was clearly defeated."_ Ducar thought to himself

"It's not... me..." Zack groans

"What?" Terra and Ducar say feeling confused

"I'm not... doing this..." Zack groans

Zack held a painful expression on his face appearing as though he was in pain from something. Just then, an aura of darkness began to envelope Zack. The moment they saw the dark aura, Terra and Ducar both realized what was going on.

"He's being controlled!" Terra gasps

"Just like we were!" Ducar gasps

Just then, Hades appears in a puff of smoke near the entrance of the arena.

"Huh? So, what do ya think? You like my new super soldier? See, right here, this, it's the power of darkness. Coulda been yours. Still could, if you open up to it." Hades says

"Hades! You were just playing us!" Terra exclaims

"I knew you couldn't be trusted!" Ducar says

"The darkness... will never have us!" Terra says

Terra shoves Zack back with a swing his Keyblade. Zack slid back across the ground, but he stood ready with his sword held infront of him.

"Help me... You've gotta... set my heart free..." Zack groans

Terra and Ducar stood together as they prepared for another rematch with Zack to free him from Hades' control.

Zack made the first move by using the same move he used at the start of their first battle. He leaped up into the air and came down with a downward thrust. Terra and Ducar both instinctively jump back, evading the attack just as Zack slammed his sword into the ground, creating a shockwave around him. The soldier stood up and raised his sword up into the air. A flash of darkness appeared from the sword and a barrage of meteors came falling down from the sky. The two Keyblade Wielders both evaded the meteors as they struck down onto the arena.

Terra dashes straight toward Zack and he attacks with some intense blows coming from his Keyblade. First, he hits Zack with two horizontal spinning slashes. Next, he follows up with a series of thrusting strikes, dashing back and forth into Zack, hitting him at least four times. Then, Terra executes two more spinning slashes followed by a powerful overhead strike, which sends him back sliding across the ground.

Zack raises his sword into the air and an aura of darkness flashed from his body. In less than a second, Zack teleports to Ducar and attacks him with several rapid slashes. Ducar defends himself from the lightning fast sword strikes with his Keyblade, matching Zack's speed. The soldier then appears over Ducar and attempts to bring his sword down on him. The Keyblade Wielder quickly leapt out of the way, dodging the attack. Ducar rolled to a stop crouched down on his feet and looked ahead of him. He saw that Zack was struggling to fight the darkness that was controlling him. Seeing this gave him the opportunity to attack.

Ducar rushes toward Zack and strikes him with four quick slashes, swinging his Keyblade with a left-uppercut, two left and right-slashes, and a downward slash. Zack staggers back as he recieved each blow from the Keyblade Wielder. Ducar primes his Keyblade, then strikes with an uppercut, knocking Zack in mid-air, and a downward slash, knocking him down to the ground. Zack rolled backwards across the ground after recieving the last hit until he came to a stop landing flat on his stomach.

Zack slowly rose up on one knee, then got up onto his feet and held his sword infront of him. It seemed as though the fighting would resume, but Zack soon fell back down to the ground and the dark aura left his body. The match was finally over. As they stood there, Terra and Ducar heard the cheers from the crowd all around them, praising them on their victory. Hades wasn't quite pleased with what he had just seen. He felt rather disappointed that Zack couldn't handle the dark power.

"Forget it. It looks like I bet on the wrong dark horse. That kid doesn't have what it takes to handle darkness." Hades says

Having said that, Hades decided to take his leave of the coliseum before Terra and Ducar would go after him. Zack slowly recovered from the match and looked up at the two men who had saved him.

"You gonna make it?" Terra asks

"Y-yeah. I'm finally free. Where is-" Zack says

"He's gone." Ducar says

"Man, how could I let a guy like him control me? I'll never live it down!" Zack says slamming a fist into the ground

Ducar offers his right-hand to Zack who looks up at him and smiles. He accepts Ducar's hand and was pulled up to his feet.

"Thanks, um..." Zack says

"Terra."

"Ducar."

"Thanks, Terra. Thanks, Ducar. I'm Zack."

Zack places his hands on his waist and looked over the two men.

"Yup. Definitely. Terra, Ducar, you're both exactly what I pictured a hero would be. Not the way you look... There's something else about you two." Zack says

Terra and Ducar both turn away from Zack, feeling slight dishonor for their recent misdeeds.

"Well, I'm no hero, trust me." Terra says

"And I'm no hero either. I've done nothing that I'm proud of." Ducar says

"You kidding? Listen to those cheers, man." Zack says

Terra and Ducar both look around and heard the cheers of the crowd.

"You don't get to decide if you're a hero or not. They do. And they've already made up their mind. Whether you like it or not, you're their heroes." Zack says

Zack slightly punches Terra's shoulder, catching his and Ducar's attention.

"And mine too." Zack says gesturing to himself with his left-thumb

Zack then felt slightly disappointed that he didn't fight the match the way he had hoped.

"It's too bad. I really wanted to fight you both fair and square." Zack says

Terra slightly punches Zack's shoulder, making him look up.

"Maybe someday, Zack." Terra says

"You'll get your chance." Ducar says with a slight smile

Feeling that their visit here was done, Terra and Ducar both leave the Olympus Coliseum and continue their journey onto the next world.

( _Moments later_ )

After Terra and Ducar had left, Shara and Aqua both arrive at the Olympus Coliseum, standing at the gates of the coliseum. As soon as they arrive, they were met with a group of Flood Unversed led by a Buckle Bruiser. The two women both summoned their Keyblades to deal with the Unversed, but then Phil comes in and stands infront of them.

"Stand back, sweetcheeks. I'll take care of this." Phil says

Phil looked up at the Buckle Bruiser that stood infront of him and was nervous at the size of it. He soon backed away and ran, calling out for Hercules to deal with the Unversed.

"Herc, they're all yours!" Phil says

Hercules came running to the gates of the coliseum and took a stand next to the two female Keyblade Masters. Together, the trio stood fast as the Unversed attacked.

The Buckle Bruiser struck first by attempting to throw a shield punch at the three heroes, but misses as they jump back. Then, the Unversed charges at the heroes in an attempt to body slam the heroes, mostly targeting the two female Keyblade Masters. Shara and Aqua both leapt away to the sides, splitting up before the Unversed could smash into them. Having failed to hit the two women, the Buckle Bruiser tripped and fell forward onto the ground. Seeing that the Unversed was down on the ground, Shara saw her chance to attack.

Shara sprints forward and leaps over the Buckle Bruiser, swinging her Keyblade down across it's back as she leapt over. Once she lands infront of the Unversed, Shara delivers an axe kick to the back of it's head. Then, she jumps up into the air with a backwards somersault and falls back down onto the Unversed, plunging her Keyblade down into it's body, sending it into oblivion.

Three Flood stalked towards Shara to attack while her back was turned. But before they could get the chance, Aqua hurls her Keyblade at the Unversed with a horizontal toss. The Keyblade slices through the three Flood, taking them out in one run, then returns into Aqua's hand. Shara turned around and looked at Aqua who nodded at her and she returns with a nod from her.

Hercules throws a strong punch at a Flood, taking it out right on the spot. He looks over to his left and saw another Flood leaping towards him, but he sends it into the air with a right-uppercut. Then, Hercules slammed his fists down on the last remaining Flood, smashing it into the ground.

All of the Unversed were defeated and the coliseum gates was clear. With the fighting now over, Phil walks up to the heroic trio.

"Oy, those wackos sure would have made gyros out of me." Phil says

"Well, maybe if you weren't trying to show off..." Hercules says

"Who asked you, kid? You'll understand more when you're older." Phil says

"And stronger... Strong enough to be a hero." Hercules says looking a bit down

"You think being strong is the same as being a hero?" Aqua asks

"Sure, mostly. Look at how strong Terra and Ducar are, and they're both champions!" Hercules says

"So sugarcakes... You got any plans for later? You know, I've trained a few heroes in my time. Maybe I could recite ya a little epic poetry." Phil says

"Do you know Terra?" Aqua asks

"And Ducar? You know him?" Shara asks

"Of course I do. They're the local heroes everybody's going gaga for. Oh, now I get it. You're one of his fans. Everywhere I go it's Terra-this, Ducar-that..." Phil says

"Oh no, you see, we're just trying to track them down." Aqua says

"Yeah? Tell me about it, sister. You and the rest of Greece! Those two show up outta nowhere, goes and wins the first Games they ever enter, dazzling the whole town, and then the nudniks up and vanishes!" Phil says

"Everybody says Terra and Ducar are the real thing, a true hero. I can't wait til I'm that tough." Hercules says

"Pfft, right. They're so tough that they turned the last schlemiel that faced them into a raving yahoo." Phil says

"Come on, Phil. Be nice." Hercules says

"So, you're telling us they're not here." Shara says

"Whoa, not so fast. They may not be here right now, but ya never know. They could always decide they're gonna show up for the Games." Phil says

"Yeah... To defend their title." Hercules says

"And if you enter, there's always a chance you might run into them. I got an idea. I'll sign you both up myself. And if you need a trainer, I'd be more than happy to put you two through the ropes." Phil says

"But Phil... I had to practically beg you to agree to train me." Hercules says

"Shh! Pipe down, kid! You and she ain't got the same attributes, if ya know what I mean." Phil says

Shara and Aqua both looked at each other, unsure what to do. They didn't know whether they should stay or move onto the next world. From what they heard, Terra and Ducar weren't here and they had probably moved on to their next destination. But then again, they had just fought off a group of Unversed and there would most likely be more lurking around, causing trouble. The two women soon made up their mind and came to a decision.

"You know, you're right. Please sign us up for the Games." Aqua says

The two women both introduce themselves to Hercules and Phil. Aqua placed her right-hand onto her chest, gesturing to herself.

"My name is Aqua."

Shara placed her right-hand onto her chest, introducing herself just as Aqua did.

"And I'm Shara."

"Likewise. Now, let's start with a few basics-" Phil says

"Thanks, but we don't need a trainer." Shara says

"Bah! Women, never changes. So I suppose ya still want me to go and get you signed up. Meet me in the vestibule when you're ready." Phil says

Phil went ahead into the coliseum lobby to get the matches ready. Shara and Aqua followed him into the lobby with Hercules close behind. The two women entered the lobby and approached Phil.

"Wow. That was fast. So, I take you twos are ready?" Phil asks

"Yes." Shara and Aqua say

"Great! Go on ahead." Phil says

The two female Keyblade Masters entered the arena and stood into the ring to begin their first match. Their opponents were just like the ones Terra and Ducar faced. Before them was six Scrapper Unversed. Shara and Aqua both summoned their Keyblades and got into battle stance.

One of the Scrappers charged at Shara with it's claws ready to swipe at her. Just as it reaches her, Shara sends the Unversed into the air with an uppercut from her Keyblade. She leaps up at the Scrapper and slices it in half down the center with a downward slash from her Keyblade. Shara lands crouched down on the ground and looked toward the two Scrappers that stood before her. They both tried to attack her at the same time, but she jumped back, evading their claws. She then leapt back at the Unversed and countered with a right-diagonal slash at the Scrapper on the left, then a right-slash at the other one on the right.

Aqua rushes toward one of the Scrappers and hits it with a thrusting strike, lunging her Keyblade at the Unversed, knocking it back. She then follows up with a spinning slash, which slices across the Scrapper's chest, and a downward slash, which slices the Unversed in half. The two remaining Scrappers both charged at the female Keyblade Master, intending to strike her with their claws. Aqua saw the Unversed quickly approaching her and was more than ready for them. When the first Scrapper came at her, she spun around and swung her Keyblade down on the Unversed, slamming it into the ground. Then, she took out the last remaining Scrapper with a rising uppercut.

With Round 1 over, Shara and Aqua move onto Round 2. Their opponents in this round was a single Bruiser.

Shara and Aqua both charged at the Unversed and attacked in unison. Aqua swung her Keyblade multiple times on the Bruiser's stomach, making it jiggle around. The attacks inflicted some damage, but not alot. The Bruiser tries to hit Aqua with a hip attack, but she evades the attack by cartwheeling over to the right. Shara leaps forward at the Bruiser and delivers a series of kicks to it's head, making it stagger back. She soon finishes with a reverse roundhouse kick to it's head, leaving it stunned and dazed. With the Unversed left stunned, Shara stabs her Keyblade into it's chest. The Bruiser falls down on it's back and disappears in a puff of black smoke.

With Round 2 done, the two women continue onto Round 3. Their opponents in this round were two Spiderchests.

One of the Spiderchests started the match by charging forward at the two women in an attempt to chomp at them. Shara and Aqua both jump over to the sides, dodging the attack.

Shara attacks one of the Spiderchests by launching an orb of blue light from the tip of her Keyblade. The orb lands a hit to the Unversed and explodes in a flash of light, sending it back. The Spiderchest spews a glob of poison at Shara, but she cartwheels over to the left, dodging the poison spit. Shara comes back at the Unversed leaping forward and she slams her Keyblade down onto the Spiderchest, smashing it into the ground.

All that was left now was Aqua and her opponent. Before Aqua could do anything, the Unversed burrows down into the ground, hiding from view. Aqua looked around, searching for the Unversed. She then looked down and saw cracks forming underneath hier. Reacting quickly, Aqua moved out of the way just as the Spiderchest emerged from the ground. Aqua points her Keyblade at her Spiderchest and launches a fireball at it. The fireball shoots straight into the mouth of the Spiderchest and explodes, destroying the Unversed and finishing the match.

Having finished Round 3, the two female Keyblade Masters proceeded to Round 4. Their opponents in this round was a group of Red Hot Chili and Blue Sea Salt.

Shara and Aqua both charged at the Unversed and attacked using both Fire and Ice spells.

Aqua spins around in the air swinging her Keyblade, creating an icy wind which freezes the Red Hot Chili Unversed in solid ice. She then executes a spinning slash which shatters the Unversed into pieces.

Shara got into the center of the group of Blue Sea Salt Unversed, quickly crosses her arms, then thrusts them out, summoning three pillars of fire which circles around her. All the Unversed that surrounded Shara were burned away by the fiery attack.

After making short work of Round 4, Shara and Aqua move down to Round 5. Their opponents in this round was a new bunch of Unversed known as Hareraisers because of their two long, floppy ears.

One of the Hareraisers cartwheels toward the two women in an attempt to hit them with it's ears. Shara and Aqua both cartwheeled out of the way before the Unversed could hit either one of them.

Shara leaped forward at the Hareraiser that tried to attack her and quickly brought her Keyblade down on it, taking the Unversed out with one hit. Another Hareraiser spins around shooting lasers at Shara, but the female Keyblade Master deflected the shots back at the Unversed using her said weapon. The Hareraiser was hit multiple times by it's own lasers and was soon destroyed. A third Hareraiser tried to ram into Shara from the right-side, but she evaded the attack with a backflip into the air. As she straightened herself in the air, Shara hurled her Keyblade down at the Unversed. The Keyblade slices through the Hareraiser right down the center, splitting it in half. Shara lands crouched down and catches her Keyblade back in her right-hand.

Aqua had the three remaining Unversed surrounding her, ready to attack. Soon enough, the Hareraisers closed in on the female Keyblade Master, cartwheeling toward her. But before they could reach her, Aqua teleports away in the blink of an eye. She reappears in the air and dives down on the Unversed, generating a giant pillar of light which beams down on the Unversed, destroying them.

After doing away with Round 5, the two women came into Round 6. Their opponents in this round was three Axe Flappers and three Mandrakes.

The Axe Flappers struck first by flapping their wings, creating blasts of air which they launched toward the two Keyblade Masters who instinctively leapt out of the way of the attack. Next, the Mandrakes attacked by firing razor sharp leaves from their heads.

Shara levitates into the air and raises her Keyblade to the sky. A powerful whirlwind swirls around Shara, blowing away the Axe Flappers. The bat-like Unversed were sent flying out of the ring and they crash into the nearby wall on the opposite side of the arena.

Aqua pointed her Keyblade at the three Mandrakes and launched three fireballs at them. The fireballs hit the Unversed and they each detonate in a small explosion, engulfing the Unversed in flames, burning them away into oblivion.

With Round 6 over, Shara and Aqua move onto Round 7. Their opponents in this round were two Buckle Bruisers.

The two women made the first move by attacking in unison.

Shara launched a barrage of blue light blasts from the tip of her Keyblade while Aqua fired a volley of bubbles from her Keyblade. The blasts of light and bubble blasts hit the two Unversed numerous times, creating small splashes of light upon impact. Soon, the Buckle Bruisers were destroyed and the match was over.

With Round 7 out of the way, the two Keyblade Masters proceeded to Round 8. Their opponents in this round were two Chrono Twisters.

One of the Chrono Twisters summoned multiple orbs of dark energy around Shara and Aqua. They try to smash in on the Keyblade Masters, but Shara quickly raised her said weapon above her head, creating a spherical barrier of light that encased her and Aqua inside. The dark orbs hit the barrier, bounce off, and disappear along with the barrier, leaving the two women unharmed.

Shara and Aqua both stood together and held their Keyblades upward infront of them. A white aura began to envelope the two women as they raised their Keyblades over their heads and a bright light shined from their bodies, blinding the Unversed, stunning them. Then, eight rainbow orbs spiral upwards around the two female Keyblade Masters and flies straight toward the two Chrono Twisters, hitting them numerous times before exploding in a flash of light, disintegrating the Unversed.

Having completed Round 8, the two women went onto Round 9. Their opponents in this round was a group of six Shoegazers.

Shara and Aqua made the first move by rushing toward the Unversed to strike in unison. The two women leapt into the air and slammed their Keyblades into the ground, creating a large rippling shockwave of light that quickly destroyed the Unversed and ended the match in an instant.

After finishing Round 9, Shara and Aqua came down to Round 10. Their opponents in this round was a large group of Jellyshades.

The Jellyshades all began floating toward the two women, intent on attacking them all at once. Shara stepped forward and closed her eyes, holding her Keyblade vertically infront of her. She then began levitating in mid-air. Her Keyblade floated infront of her while she crouches down and crosses her arms. A bright light started to envelope her body as she charged up with energy. As this was happening, all of the Unversed were being sucked towards Shara. Within moments, Shara opens her eyes and thrusts her body outwards, summoning a large pillar of light which disintegrates the Unversed, thus ending the match.

After going through several matches, Shara and Aqua walked out to the coliseum gates for a break with Hercules and Phil following them.

"All that's left is the final, and still no sign of Terra." Aqua says

"Or my husband, Ducar." Shara says

"The guy we're supposed to fight next is someone named Zack." Aqua says

Shara and Aqua both turn around and saw Zack standing right infront of them, appearing out of nowhere.

"You're Aqua and Shara, right? Hey, I'm Zack. Your opponent in the final. Man, finally! Once I beat you both, I get to take on Terra and Ducar!"

"Terra?" Aqua says feeling confused

"Ducar?" Shara says feeling confused

"I don't understand. Are you saying there's another match after the final?" Aqua asks

"Uh-oh. Guess you didn't get the memo. Oh, Phil! Would you tell her the rules?" Zack says

"Fine, here's how it is. The Games are divided into two brackets. You got your East, you got your West. The winners from each bracket face off in the championship match. Now, right now you are competing in the East and we got no idea about the other side. For all we know, your boys Terra and Ducar could be crusin' through over in the West." Phil says

"Then we shouldn't be fighting matches here." Aqua says

"Right. We should be over there, looking for them." Shara says

"No... you, uh... can't! It's not allowed! Athletes are expressly forbidden from watchin' matches in the other bracket." Phil says

Hercules and Zack both looked at each other, surprised by Phil's reaction to Aqua and Shara's request.

"Did he just make that up?" Hercules asks

"How should I know?" Zack says with a shrug

"All right, fine! Look, you gotta just stay and fight this match. The two athletes I entered defaulted before they made it to the top. Give a guy a break. I got a reputation." Phil says

"Hey, do it for us too." Zack says

"All right then. We'll finish what we started." Shara says

"You will? Oh, the gods are smilin' on me today! I'll be waiting for you twos in the vestibule. Just tell me when you're ready to go." Phil says

"A match between Zack and Aqua? This I can't miss." Hercules says

"Ix-nay on the atchin'-way. You got trainin' to complete." Phil says

"Oh, that's right... Well, good luck, guys. I'll see you around." Hercules says

Hercules went off to complete his training while Phil went into the coliseum lobby to get the final match ready, leaving Shara and Aqua alone with Zack.

"Aqua, Shara, give it your best out there." Zack says

"You too." Aqua says

"I am so fired up!" Zack says doing some squats

"Zack, Terra is a friend of mine and Ducar is Shara's husband. How exactly is it that you know them?" Aqua asks

"They saved my life. During the last Games, this dude named Hades tried to make Terra and Ducar his pawns of darkness... and he used me to do it. He had some kind of magic or something that made me crazy, gave me... weird powers that I turned against them." Zack says

Zack stopped with his squats and stood up straight.

"But you know what? They both freed me. And they didn't need the darkness to do it." Zack says

Shara and Aqua were surprised to hear this from Zack. Terra and Ducar helped free Zack from Hades' control and they never used the power of darkness that was stirring in their hearts.

"I had no idea..." Aqua says

"Well, that's enough with the drama. I guess I'll see you both in the ring, huh?" Zack says

With that said, Zack headed into the coliseum to prepare for his match against the two female Keyblade Masters. Shara and Aqua decided to do the same and went inside to let Phil know they were ready.

"From the looks on your faces, I can tell you're both ready." Phil says

"Yes, we're ready." Shara says

"Okay. I like the enthusiasm. Go right ahead." Phil says

Shara and Aqua nodded and went into the arena. The two women stepped into the ring and met up with Zack.

"I promised Terra and Ducar I'd face them both. Fair and square." Zack says

Zack pulls out his sword from his back and grips it in his hands.

"The friendship between boys... It almost makes me jealous." Aqua says

Aqua and Shara both summoned their Keyblades into their hands and got into battle stance.

"Let's fight!" Shara says

Zack made the first move by running toward the two Keyblade Masters in a frontal charge. He lunges his sword at them with a thrust, but the two women both split up, jumping over to the sides, dodging the attack. Then, Zack uses the same move he used during his battles with Terra and Ducar. He leaped up into the air and came down with a downward thrust. Shara and Aqua both instinctively jump back, evading the attack just as Zack slammed his sword into the ground, creating a shockwave around him.

Shara rushed forward at Zack and hits him with a roundhouse slash to his chest. Next, she delivers three cross slashes and two upward and downward slashes. Then, she executes a reverse roundhouse slash which sent Zack spinning rapidly in the air. Zack lands on the ground flat on his stomach. He looks up at Shara and was surprised at her skill with her Keyblade. Nevertheless, he quickly gets up on his feet to continue the match.

Aqua rushed forward at Zack to attack him with a right-slash, but he jumps over her with a somersault, dodging the attack. Once he lands on the otherside, Zack whirls around and tries to strike Aqua behind her back. Aqua quickly turned around and blocked against the attack with her Keyblade. She then shoved Zack back, making him stagger. With Zack now vulnerable, Aqua strikes with three wide-sweeping slashes followed by two more slashes. Finally, Aqua swings her Keyblade over her head five times, then performs a jumping strike, slamming her Keyblade down on Zack's chest, sending him flying back.

Zack fell down on his back defeated, but he was still conscious.

"Ugh! I lost!" Zack says

Zack rolled back a bit and jumped onto his feet.

"I've got a long ways to go if I'm gonna become a hero." Zack says scratching the back of his head with his right-hand

Suddenly, Hades appears at the sidelines in a puff of smoke.

"Really, it's you? Here I thought I'd drop in to see which muscle-head was up next, and..." Hades says

Hades soon laid his eyes upon the two female Keyblade Masters. He walked over and crossed his arms, examining the two women.

"Holy hydras! It's just two little girls, two little lassies, two little bluebirds." Hades says

"Hades!" Zack yells angrily

Hades turned around and looked at Zack with an uninterested expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, is that a mosquito? Where did I put that bug spray?" Hades says

"Mosquito!?" Zack says

"So you're Hades." Aqua says

"You used Zack, and tried to cast Terra and Ducar into the darkness." Shara says

Zack went over and took up sides with the two female Keyblade Masters.

"So I take it you're acquainted with the spineless chickenhearts." Hades says

"Terra is my friend." Aqua says

"And Ducar is my husband!" Shara says

"From what we heard, they triumphed over the darkness. They're not spineless." Aqua says

"Funny, ya know 'cause I heard different. Ya see, it was those two chickenhearts who asked me for a little, shall we say... instruction on how to use darkness in the first place." Hades says

"Never!" Aqua shouts

"Not in a million years!" Shara shouts

"And they were so close to doing it, too, when the saps went and got cold feet. Now if that ain't cowardly, I don't know what is. But you, my little bluebirds... Why not flit over here and demonstrate some real courage for the winning team?" Hades says

"The darkness doesn't interest me!" Aqua says

"And my heart rests with the light! The darkness will never hold sway over me" Shara says

"Well, that was rude. A _'No, thank you, your godliness'_ might've sufficed. Fortunately, I still get to, ahem, destroy you. Rules say you both face me next. And I have a whole lot of darkness... with your names on it!" Hades says

Hades soon takes his leave and disappears in a puff of smoke, laughing.

"Get back here, Hades!" Zack yells

Zack grips his hands in anger.

"Man, if only I were up against him." Zack says

Zack turns around and looks at Shara and Aqua with a serious expression on his face.

"Aqua. Shara. You gotta avenge me, Terra, and Ducar!" Zack says

"Don't worry, Zack. We will." Shara says

( _Moments later_ )

Zack sat at the sidelines while Shara and Aqua stepped in to face Hades in their match. Zack looked around as he felt a cold breeze blow into the coliseum. He then wrapped himself with his arms to try and keep himself warm. Shara and Aqua both stepped into the arena with their Keyblades already drawn. They looked around and saw that Hades had not yet entered the arena. However, they saw something emerge over the coliseum walls. First, they saw two giant hands of ice creep over the walls. Then, they saw the Ice Colossus step into the arena and stand opposite of them. As soon as the Ice Colossus entered, Hades appears in a puff of smoke infront of him.

"I never said one-one-one." Hades says

"No fair, Hades!" Zack says

"I suppose that's in the rules!" Aqua says

"'Rule No. 2: Combatants may call for backup.' Maybe you better call yours, ladies." Hades says

"He's already here!" Zack says

"Don't, Zack." Aqua says

"We can do this on our own." Shara says

With that said, the two female Keyblade Masters stood together as they prepared themselves for their match against Hades and the Ice Colossus.

Before anyone could make a move, Hades back away, planning on the Ice Colossus to attack first and do the fighting for him.

"All yours, frosty." Hades says

The Ice Colossus raised it's right-hand, gripping it into a fist, and threw it down toward Shara and Aqua who quickly cartwheeled out of the way. After missing the two women, the Ice Colossus raised it's left-foot up and brought it down in an attempt to stomp down on the two women. Again, Shara and Aqua dodged the attack, leaping out of the way.

The two women decide to go on the offensive and attack the legs of the Ice Colossus.

Knowing that fire would prove to be very useful against the Ice Colossus, Aqua aims her Keyblade at it's legs and launches a volley of fireballs at it's legs. Each of the fireball land with a direct hit and explode upon impact. Next, Aqua throws her Keyblade at the Ice Colossus while it was engulfed in flames. Then, Aqua jumps into the air, charges up energy, and hurls a large fireball at the legs of the Ice Colossus. Upon impact, the fireball erupts into multiple pillars of fire, dishing out intense damage.

Shara leaps up into the air and rushes forward at the Ice Colossus while cloaked in a barrier of light. Within moments, she slams into the Ice Colossus' chest with fierce impact. Then, Shara strikes underneath his chin with an upwards spiral which finishes the job.

The Ice Colossus fell down onto the arena and was defeated. With the Ice Colossus down for the count, all that was left for this match was Hades himself.

"Alright. Here comes the heat!" Hades says

Hades conjures up a fireball in his right-hand and throws it at Shara and Aqua who immediately jump out of the way. Then, Hades stretches his arms out toward the two women and sprays flames straight at them.

Shara leaps forward at Hades for an attack, but he teleports away in a puff of smoke, making her miss. He soon reappears behind her and tries to hit Shara with his flaming hands, going for a right-punch. Shara quickly ducked down and countered with a blow to his chest, knocking him back. Hades tried to deliver another punch, but Shara jumped away, dodging the attack.

Aqua rushes to Shara's aid and throws her Keyblade at Hades with a horizontal toss. Hades was hit in the chest by the Keyblade and was knocked back a bit. Hades teleports over to Aqua and tries to throw a fiery punch at her, but she teleports away, making him hit nothing but air. Aqua rematerializes behind Hades and strikes him with multiple slashes. Hades turned around and tried to hit Aqua again, but she teleports again, leaving behind a ghostlike version of herself. Aqua reappears from the right-side and strikes Hades again with some more slashes. Pretty soon, she began teleporting in and out in all directions, striking Hades numerous times. Once she was done, Aqua teleports over to Shara's side.

The two female Keyblade Masters decided it was time to finish the match once and for all. They both rushed forward at Hades with their bodies cloaked in light and hit him with a series of charging strikes, dashing back and forth. Hades was hit left and right by the two women and never stood a chance.

Soon enough, the match was over and Hades staggered back away from Shara and Aqua, clutching his chest.

"I knew that snow cone wouldn't cut it. I need a real Titan. Ha, Stay tuned." Hades says

With that said, Hades took his leave, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

( _Moments later_ )

After the match, Shara and Aqua stood outside the coliseum gates with Zack.

"Stupid Hades... Next time, I'll put him in his place. Oh yeah! You're both the champs. We gotta celebrate!" Zack says

"That won't really be necessary." Aqua says

"Hmm... Well, since Shara is already out with Ducar, how about one date, Aqua?" Zack asks

"Huh!? Oh! You mean... No... I have to leave right away... Besides, I still have so much training to do." Aqua says feeling shy

"Fair enough. And I'm still a work in progress, after all." Zack says

"Huh?" Aqua asks

"Well, how 'bout this: I become a hero, then we go on a date." Zack says

"I... I can't make any promises." Aqua says

"Yes! Great, it's settled. Hero-hood, here I come!" Zack says

Feeling more determined than ever to become a hero, Zack heads out of the coliseum gates. As soon as he left, Hercules comes running in and stops infront of the two female Keyblade Masters.

"Oh... It's over already? And I finished today's training in record time." Hercules says feeling a bit diasppointed.

Hercules looked at Aqua and saw that she was blushing a bit.

"Uh, Aqua? What's wrong? Your face is red." Hercules asks

Aqua turned away her head, trying to hide her shyness.

"Nothing! Nothing." Aqua says

Aqua decided to change the subject and looked back at Hercules.

"You want to be a hero too, right? Strength alone won't make you into one." Aqua says

"I know, I know. Strength alone won't make me a true hero. I'm starting to figure that out. I look at you and Zack, and I can tell there's something more." Hercules says

"You've got strength in your heart, too. Never stop trying, and one day, you might just become a true hero after all." Shara says

'Thanks, Shara." Hercules says with a smile

Shara nods and smiles as well.

"Terra, you too. Keep fighting." Aqua says to herself

"Ducar, my husband, I know you'll come through. Just keep fighting and you'll find your light. I believe in you." Shara says to herself

Having outstayed their visit, Shara and Aqua both leave the Olympus Coliseum and continue their journey.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Time to compete at the Olympus Coliseum. Ventus comes here and helps Hercules train to become a hero. Then, he meets Zack who was also training to become a hero. Terra and Ducar arrive and participate in the Games with Hades sponsoring for them. They both go through rounds of Unversed and eventually fight Zack who had been possessed by Hades to make them use the power of darkness. Fortunately, they stand strong and help free Zack from his control and win the Games. Then, Shara and Aqua arrive at the Olympus Coliseum also looking to participate in the Games in hopes of finding Terra and Ducar. Like the two men who came before them, they both go through rounds of Unversed. They soon meet Zack and fight him in a match. Afterwards, they meet Hades who challenges them in the final match. Of course, Hades never fights fair as he summons the Ice Colossus to aid him in his match against the female Keyblade Masters. In the end, Shara and Aqua manage to defeat both Hades and the Ice Colossus in a heated match. Now, it's onto the next world. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	29. Deep in Space

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Lanes Between_ )

Terra and Ducar were now traveling in the Lanes Between. They both looked down at their Wayfinders, thinking about their friends. For Terra, he thought towards Ventus and Aqua. For Ducar, it was his wife and son. The two men soon looked ahead of them and they saw a swarm of Jellyshades floating around.

"All the way out here?" Terra asks

"Let's just take care of them." Ducar says

Terra and Ducar flew toward the swarm of Unversed and attacked. They both rammed their Keyblade Gliders into the Jellyshades and even hit them with several skid charges. It took the two men a while to fight the Unversed since there were so many, but eventually, they get the job done and finish off the last of the Jellyshades.

After fighting the Unversed, Terra and Ducar looked up and saw a large Federation ship fly over them. Then, they were suddenly swept onboard the ship.

( _Deep Space_ )

The two Keyblade Wielders were both unconscious in a prison cell after being swept up into the ship. Captain Gantu and the Grand Councilwoman walk into the Turo Prison Block and took a lift up to Terra and Ducar's cell. Once they reach their level, the two aliens examine the two men.

"Are they the ones?" The Grand Councilwoman asks

"Yes, Grand Councilwoman. I've confined them until we can figure out what they are." Gantu says

Terra and Ducar awaken and find themselves in the cell. They look around, taking in their surroundings. Suddenly, they heard blaster fire outside the cell and quickly moved to the glass door to get a better look. Down below, a swarm of Flood Unversed attack the prison.

"Take cover! Leave it to me to deal with these fiends! Whatever you are...you're all under arrest... eventually." Gantu says

Captain Gantu and the Grand Councilwoman flee from the Unversed while Terra and Ducar free themselves from their cell and stand up against the Unversed.

"We'll give ya a fight!" Ducar says

Ducar and Terra both charge at the Unversed and attack.

Ducar strikes with a downward slash at the first Flood, an upward slash at the second Flood, two spinning slashes at the next two, and an overhead strike at another Flood. Each of the Unversed were taken out by a single hit from Ducar's blows.

Terra lets loose a string of blows upon his group of Unversed. First, he swings his Keyblade left and right six times, taking out six Flood in a row. Next, he executes two spinning slashes, swinging back and forth, slicing through two Floods. Then, he slams his Keyblade down on the last remaining Flood, finishing the fight.

All of the Unversed were defeated and the prison block was made safe.

"Very impressive display." A male voice says

Ducar and Terra turn their attention toward a cell where Dr. Jumba Jookiba was locked up. They soon turn away and were about to leave until Jumba calls for them.

"Wait! You help? I have been imprisoned on ridiculous charges!" Jumba says

"Is that so?" Terra says

"I am innocent scientist who created galaxy's most destructive-uh... constructive species of all time. Why, my experiment could annihilate creatures you fought so hard! He is bulletproof, fireproof, and can think faster than supercomputer. He can see in the dark, and move objects 3,000 times his rather diminutive size. And for reasons preposterous, the Federation Council fears him. They take him away from me and throw me in small, stuffy, rather badly lit cell." Jumba says

"Because he's so powerful?" Ducar asks

"Exactly. Everyone always gets antsy in pantses when somebody more powerful is in the neighborhood. You understand, perhaps?" Jumba says

"I think I understand..." Ducar says

Ducar knew full well of what Jumba meant by this. His very first thought was that of his arch nemesis, Lord Thanatos, the powerful Keyblade Master of Darkness.

"We must make to rescue him, or he'll be banished to far reaches of space!" Jumba says

"Alright, take us to him." Ducar says

Ducar and Terra free Jumba from his cell.

"Experiment 626. Is name I give to adorable, fluffy creature you are helping to rescue. And I am genius scientist who created him, Dr. Jumba Jookiba."

"I'm Terra."

"Ducar."

"Pleasure is all ours. 626 is this way. Hurry!" Jumba says

Ducar and Terra follow Jumba as he leads them out of the prison block and throughout the rest of the ship. Eventually, they soon find Experiment 626 contained inside an experiment pod.

"Amazing, is he not? Such tremendous power in such itty-bitty package. Truly, he is the one and that's the only, the mightiest creature in all of galaxy. And his only, singular instinct: to destroy everything he touches! See?" Jumba says

Jumba presses a button on the pod and the glass which contained 626 disappears. From the moment it was freed, 626 jumps onto Terra and climbs all over him. Then, he jumps onto Ducar and climbs all over him as well. 626 soon jumps up to the ceiling and stays there. The two Keyblade Wielders looked up at 626 and saw that he was holding something in it's left-paw. What it held was their Wayfinders.

"When did you-Give that back!" Terra says

"Hey! Those belong to us!" Ducar says

"Too late, is already marked for destruction." Jumba says

Terra and Ducar were utterly shocked to hear this and they cried out for 626 to return their Wayfinders.

"Please don't!" Ducar cries out

"No, stop! Our friends gave us those!" Terra cries out

Terra and Ducar gasp in shock as to what they just said.

" _'Friend'_? Are you joking? Such concept is completely lost to 626." Jumba laughs

Experiment 626 drops the two Wayfinders onto the floor and leaves the room. Terra and Ducar went on over and retrieved their Wayfinders.

"Funny. This whole time, we've been tellin' ourselves to be stronger, more independent. But the second we let our heart do the talking, we find out how little we really know about ourselves. And how much we miss them." Ducar says

"That experiment of yours. You sure about him? Maybe, in his heart, he wants friends just like the rest of us." Terra says

"Impossible! Pshah! He has no actual feelings, only destructive instincts I have carefully chosen for him." Jumba says

Experiment 626 returns to Terra, Ducar, and Jumba, surprising them.

"What is it? Why have you returned?" Jumba asks

"Maybe he's wondering what a friend is." Ducar says

Ducar and Terra walk up to 626 and kneel down to him.

"My name is Terra."

"And mine is Ducar."

"Ter...ra... Du...car..." Experiment 626 says

"Yes. We can't explain friendship. But when you feel it, you'll know it." Ducar says

"Not if I have any say in matter. You are only meant to think about what you will destroy next. Now, I fix what is wrong with you." Jumba says

Suddenly, alarms start blaring throughout the ship.

 _"Red alert. Red alert. Experiment 626 and three prisoners have escaped from the cell bay. Security, locate the fugitives immediately."_

Upon hearing this, Experiment 626 and Jumba run off leaving Terra and Ducar alone in the room.

"Well, we can't stay here and get caught." Terra says

"Right." Ducar says

Ducar and Terra switch into their Keyblade Armor and summon their Keyblades into their hands. Ducar points his Keyblade ahead of them and opens up a blue portal of light. Terra and Ducar look down at their Wayfinders in their hands.

"Ven, Aqua... I'll find some way to make things right." Terra says to himself

"Shara, Devon... I promise you. I will set things straight." Ducar says to himself

Terra and Ducar take off into the portal of light on their Keyblade Gliders. As soon as they enter, the portal closes.

( _Moments later_ )

Aqua and Shara arrive in the ship from the air lock and they hear the alarms blaring. They look toward the next room which was the launch bay and see some Flood Unversed head past the doorway. The two female Keyblade Masters immediately head into the next room and encounter the Unversed. They both summon their Keyblades into their hands and get into battle stance.

"Is there any world they haven't found?" Aqua says

"I would say no." Shara says

The Unversed attack Shara and Aqua, but the two Keyblade Masters make short work of them. After dealing with the Unversed, they notice a Wayfinder made out of space junk lying on the floor. Shara kneels down and holds the makeshift Wayfinder in her hands, inspecting it.

"This looks like our Wayfinders. But, how did it get here?" Shara asks

Suddenly, Experiment 626 appears and snatches the Wayfinder out of Shara's hands. Shara and Aqua immediately summon their Keyblades and face 626 who growls at them, holding the Wayfinder close to him.

"Tell us, where did you get that?" Shara asks

626 notices Shara and Aqua's Keyblades and begins to calm down, thinking they might be friends with Terra and Ducar.

"Come on out, you little trog!" A gruff male shouts

626 runs off at the sound of the voice.

"Wait!" Aqua says

Gantu enters the launch bay and comes across Shara and Aqua.

"You there. Has Experiment 626 come past this area?" Gantu asks

"We don't understand. Experiment what?" Aqua asks

"Don't be dense. Dr. Jumba Jookiba's genetic abomination, 626! Small? Blue? Vicious?" Gantu says

"Him? He didn't look vicious." Shara says

"Ah. So you have seen him." Gantu says

"Yes. He's in the Ventilation System." Shara says

"Blast! He got away again." Gantu curses

Gantu walks away, but soon stops.

"Hold it right there. Why don't I know you two? What section are you from?" Gantu says

Shara and Aqua were both unable to respond to the question.

"Um... We're..." Aqua stammers

"Trying to stow away, are we?" Gantu says taking out his blaster

( _Moments later_ )

Gantu escorts Shara and Aqua to the Grand Councilwoman who stood in the control room.

"What is the meaning of this? Captain Gantu, did I not order you to apprehend the fugitives immediately?" The Grand Councilwoman asks

"Yes and I will have them in custody soon. They'd be locked up already if those wretched monsters would just-I mean if I hadn't uncovered these potential stowaways." Gantu says

"We weren't trying to sneak onboard. My name is Aqua."

"And my name is Shara. And those monsters, we followed them here. We can handle this threat. Just give us a chance. The weapons we carry are the only ones that can defeat them."

"Our weapons are of no use against them?" The Grand Councilwoman says in a questioning manner

The alien mistress looks up at Gantu.

"Is this true?" The Grand Councilwoman asks

"Well, we haven't explored all our options." Gantu says

"Nor do we have time to. We are fortunate you are here, Aqua, Shara. Your assistance would be most welcome." The Grand Councilwoman says

"But Grand Councilwoman, you can't honestly believe what these stowaways are saying?" Gantu says

"I think you'll find I can. We have a crisis. Jumba and 626 remain at large, and these monsters are obstructing attempts to apprehend them." The Grand Councilwoman says

The extraterrestrial looks up at Gantu for a brief moment.

"Or did I mishear your latest excuse as to why you have failed to maintain your duties, Captain?" The Grand Councilwoman says

The alien mistress looks back at the two female Keyblade Masters.

"Will you help us?" The Grand Councilwoman asks

"Of course. Defeating them is our job. It's what we do best, ma'am." Aqua says

"Then might I make one other request?" The Grand Councilwoman asks

The extraterrestrial turns around to face the monitor behind her as an image shot of Experiment 626 and Jumba from a security camera in the containment room appeared onto the screen.

"Should you happen upon our fugitives, please do whatever you can to apprehend them intact." The Grand Councilwoman says

"You want us to capture Dr. Jumba and Experiment 626?" Shara asks

"But you can't just-That's my job!" Gantu says

The Grand Councilwoman turns back around and looks up at Gantu.

"You had your chance, Captain Gantu. Now you will stand down and await orders." The Grand Councilwoman says

Gantu grumbles.

"We will monitor the location of the monsters and keep you apprised. Thank you for your help, Aqua, Shara." The Grand Councilwoman says

Shara and Aqua nod and walk away.

"Experiment 626 was carrying a Wayfinder. We'd know that shape anywhere." Shara says

"Are Terra, Ven and Ducar here too?" Aqua asks

"Probably not. But no harm in looking." Shara says

Shara and Aqua head to the Cell Block and there, they find Experiment 626. Suddenly, four Flood Unversed emerge from the shadows and jump toward 626 to attack while his back was turned.

"Look out!" Aqua cries out

Shara and Aqua jump up and strike the Unversed into oblivion. They land infront of 626, dismiss their Keyblades, and turn around to face the small alien.

"You must be Experiment 626. We have orders to take you in." Shara says

"Terra! Ducar!" 626 says

Shara and Ducar gasp in shock upon hearing what Experiment 626 just said.

"Wait. We need to talk." Shara says

Suddenly, more Flood Unversed appear surrounding the trio.

"But first things first." Aqua says

Shara and Aqua summon their Keyblades and stand alongside Experiment 626 as the Unversed surround them.

One of the Flood leaps forward at the trio for an attack, but Shara leaps up and cuts it down with a left-diagonal slash. She then lands on the ground and goes through one Flood with a right-slash from her Keyblade and another with a cartwheel kick.

Aqua drew her Keyblade back and hurled it at one of the Flood that was in her view with a horizontal toss. The Keyblade slices through the Unversed, splitting it in half, and flies back around, going through another Flood. Aqua catches her Keyblade back into her hand, then raises it into the air, summoning lightning bolts which strikes down on the last remaining Unversed, disintegrating them.

Just when they thought it was over, another group of Unversed appeared. This group consisted of six Scrappers, and a new, large Unversed. This Unversed was known as Blobmob because of it's domed head, four tentacles, and it's large, gelatinous body.

One of the Scrappers charged at Shara with it's claws ready to strike, but the female Keyblade Master twirled her said weapon in her hands and swung down on the Unversed, slicing it in half. Another Scrapper leapt at Shara for an attack. Shara caught sight of the Unversed and drew her Keyblade back. Just as the Unversed was about to strike, Shara knocks it into the air with a rising uppercut performing a backflip, then smacks it down to the ground with a downward slash.

Aqua aimed her Keyblade at one Scrapper and launched a fireball at it. The fireball hits the Unversed and explodes upon impact, blasting it into oblivion. Another Scrapper tried to attack Aqua from the right, leaping straight toward her, but the female Keyblade Master quickly turned toward the Unversed and launched a large chunk of ice from the tip of her Keyblade. The Unversed was frozen solid and fell onto the floor, shattering into pieces.

626 pulled out two blasters from his back and laughed. He aimed at the first Scrapper in his view which charged toward him and fired two shots at it, taking the Unversed down. The last remaining Scrapper stalked behind 626 and leapt forward to strike behind his back. The small alien quickly turned and saw the Unversed leaping toward him. Reacting quickly, 626 dodged the attack by jumping away with a backward somersault and countered with his blasters, firing a single shot at the Unversed. The Scrapper was hit by the shot and disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

Now all that was left was the large Blobmob that floated before the three heroes.

The Blobmob grew spikes on its body and spins around toward the trio in an attempt to hit them. Shara, Aqua, and 626 instinctively jump out of the way of the charging Unversed. After missing it's targets, the Blobmob turns around toward the heroes and shoots liquid shots from it's four legs. Again, the trio jump out of the way, dodging the shots.

Shara leapt forward at the Blobmob and struck it with a downward slash from her Keyblade. The Unversed was sliced in half by the blow. Shara smiled, feeling confident she defeated the Unversed. But her smile quickly disappeared when she saw the Blobmob split apart into two smaller versions of itself. The two Unversed began advancing toward Shara while she backed away. Aqua saw that Shara was in trouble and rushed to her aid.

Aqua leapt forward at one of the Blobmobs and sliced it in half with a spinning slash. Shara struck the other Unversed with a roundhouse slash, slicing it in half. The two Keyblade Masters continued slicing through the Blobmobs until there was at least sixteen surrounding them. Both women braced themselves as the small swarm of Unversed closed in on them.

Just before the Unversed could attack, 626 leapt into action. He jumped over to the two women with a somersault and landed infront of them. Then, the small alien jumped up and began spinning around, firing a multitude of shots from his two blasters. Each of the Blobmobs were hit by the rain of shots and were quickly vanquished.

With the Unversed taken care of, Shara and Aqua look toward 626.

"Thanks. We owe you." Aqua says

626 began looking around the cell block looking left and right.

"What is it you're looking for?" Shara asks

"Ter...ra... Du...car." 626 says

After saying that, 626 runs off.

"Wait! We just need to ask you!" Aqua cries out

Soon, 626 was gone again and the two female Keyblade Masters decide to return to The Grand Councilwoman. On the way traveling outside the ship on their Keyblade Gliders, they find the makeshift Wayfinder they had found earlier floating in space.

"This must've been the Wayfinder Experiment 626 had earlier." Shara says

Shara decides to hold onto it for safekeeping. Shara and Aqua soon return to the control room where the Grand Councilwoman directs them to the departure bays.

"Dr. Jumba and Experiment 626 have been sighted. At that time, the two of them were wandering around the launch deck. Would you see that they're secured?" The Grand Councilwoman says

"Is Experiment 626... really that dangerous of a creature?" Shara asks

"We must assume so." The Grand Councilwoman says

"All right then. We'll head over there now." Aqua says

Shara and Aqua head to the launch decks. When they reach it, they both find Dr. Jumba and Experiment 626 down below.

"Is time to give up. Then I will fix abnormality and ridiculous behavior stops." Dr. Jumba says

Shara and Aqua jump down from their platform and approach the two.

"Hold it right there. Dr. Jumba, Experiment 626, we've been authorized to take you into custody." Shara says as she and Aqua approach them

626 notices the makeshift Wayfinder in Shara's right-hand.

"Terra! Ducar!" 626 says

626 leaps straight at Shara and snatches the Wayfinder out of her hand. He then holds it close to him.

"So it really does belong to you." Shara says

"But... where have you seen that shape?" Aqua asks

"Is copy he made of good luck charm those boys Terra and Ducar show him. They said friend gave them charm, was very protective of it." Dr. Jumba says

"They really said that?" Aqua asks feeling surprised

"Yes." Dr. Jumba says

Shara and Aqua were both happy to hear this.

"Then, you're still alright, Terra." Aqua says

"Ducar." Shara says with faith in her voice

"And now because of Terra and Ducar and their little bauble, my genius creation is hesitating his genetically programmed destructive instincts. Just look at him." Dr. Jumba says

Suddenly, a blast is shot toward 626, but it misses him. The shot came from Gantu who had his blaster aimed at the trio.

"What are you doing?! Our orders are to capture them alive!" Aqua says

"I've decided to take a new approach. All right, you two, any last words before I blast you into a million pieces?" Gantu says

626 yelled something at Gantu in gibberish, but the alien captain somehow understood him.

"I'm just big-boned!" Gantu says

Experiment 626 runs off while Gantu chases after him.

"Freeze!" Gantu shouts

"We can't let him do this." Aqua says

Shara and Aqua nod at each other and summon their Keyblades. Gantu soon corners 626 against a wall with his blaster pointed at him. In that moment, Shara and Aqua jump into action.

"I warned you! Stay out of it!" Gantu says

"Looks like we'll have to do this the hard way." Shara says

With that said, Shara, Aqua and Experiment 626 fight Gantu for their freedom.

Gantu aims his blaster at the trio and fires several aimed laser blasts at them. Shara and Aqua both deflected the laser blasts with their Keyblades, sending them back at the large alien. Shara swung her Keyblade and sent one deflected laser blasts at Gantu, shooting the big blaster out of his hand. Enraged by this, Gantu charges at the two women and smashes his hands down on them. Shara and Aqua both quickly jumped back, dodging the attack.

626 yelled something at Gantu, catching his attention. Then, the small alien latches himself onto the large alien's face.

"Get off me, you little trog!" Gantu yells

Gantu tried to grab 626 off his face, but the small alien held on. While Gantu was distracted, Shara leapt forward and delivered a flying right-kick to his stomach. Gantu lurched forward after being hit by the kick in his gut. 626 jumped off Gantu's face as he recieved the blow. Then, Shara strikes underneath his chin with a backflip, making Gantu stagger back.

While Gantu was trying to recover, 626 looked over at Shara and yelled something at her. Somehow, Shara understood him and went on over to assist him. The small alien rolled up into a ball and the female Keyblade Master picked him up and hurled him at Gantu. 626 slams into Gantu's face and knocks him down. The small alien then jumped back over to the two women. Gantu sat up and looked at the trio with an angry look on his face.

"I'm not done with you yet." Gantu says

"Enough!" A female voice snaps

In that moment, the Grand Councilwoman arrives stopping the fight.

"I observed everything on the monitor." The Grand Councilwoman says

The Grand Councilwoman walks past Gantu towards Shara and Aqua.

"I... I can explain." Gantu says

Apparently, Gantu's voice fell on deaf ears as The Grand Councilwoman ignores him.

"You've been of great service, Aqua, Shara. Thank you." The Grand Councilwoman says

The Grand Councilwoman turns around and directs her attention toward Gantu.

"Captain Gantu. Escort 626 to the asteroid to which he's been banished. When you return, you're back on patrol." The Grand Councilwoman says

"Not patrol!" Gantu complains

"Wait. Would you consider sparing Experiment 626?" Shara asks

"Spare him? He's an extremely dangerous creature. I cannot release such a menace." The Grand Councilwoman says

"But it seems to us he's at least trying to make friends. And dangerous or not, I really believe he can succeed." Aqua says

"As do I." Shara says

"Very well. If he behaves himself, I will consider shortening his exile." The Grand Councilwoman says

"Thank you, ma'am." Shara says

Shara and Aqua approach Experiment 626 and kneel down to him.

"We like the charm you made. Do you think maybe... our circle of friends could become part of yours? My name is Aqua and this is my friend, Shara. Our friends are Terra, Ducar, and Ventus."

"Ah-koo-ah. Shah-rah, fren... Terra... Ducar ...Ven." 626 says

Shara and Aqua smile and watch as Experiment 626 leaves with Dr. Jumba and the Grand Councilwoman. Shara and Aqua soon take their leave on their Keyblade Gliders as they move onto the next world.

( _Moments later_ )

Ventus was flying through the Lanes Between on his Keyblade Glider when he saw something up ahead.

"Huh? What's that?" Ventus asks

A giant Unversed flies past Ventus, nearly knocking him off his Keyblade Glider

"Whoa!" Ventus says

This giant Unversed that nearly rammed into Ventus was known as Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis was a large, jellyfish-like Unversed with white skin, and a sleek body made primarily of three large tentacles, each with arrowhead-shaped tips and turquoise diamonds. Its lower body condensed into a twisted, black tail. The Unversed emblem adorned the front of its lower body, while its circular, black face was on the tip of its upper body. Its red eyes was set in a sorrowful expression. It's skin faded to black at its tentacles. The lining on its body is purple. Its lower body and tail was also purple and fade to black toward the bottom.

"Unversed!" Ventus exclaims

The Unversed comes around and flies past Ventus.

"Try that again!" Ventus says

Ventus chases after the Unversed and saw that it was heading toward the federation ship.

"Tryin' to catch a ride, huh?" Ventus says

Ventus follows the Unversed, picking up his speed.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Onboard the federation ship, Experiment 626 was constrained to the ceiling of the containment room with two large sentry guns aimed at him. Also in the room was Gantu who stomped toward him.

"Now don't get anymore ideas. These guns are locked onto your genetic signature." Gantu says

626 growls at Gantu. Just as Gantu was about to leave, the alarms start blaring all throughout the ship.

"An intruder?!" Gantu says

The large alien turns around to face 626, issuing him a warning.

"All right you. Don't get any funny ideas." Gantu says

After saying that, Gantu left the room to investigate the intrusion. 626 moved his head left and right and the guns followed his movement. The small alien saw this and tried something else. He moved his ears up and down and the guns followed their movement as well. Then, 626 came up with an idea. He sucked in his mouth and spat at the wall. The sentry guns tracked the sputum and fired at it. The laser blasts shot a hole in the wall of the room, creating a way out for the small alien. 626 broke free from his constraints and dropped down to the floor. He then ran straight for the hole, dodging the laser blasts from the sentry guns.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Ventus arrives inside the launch bay of the ship and the alarms start blaring. He was then confronted by Gantu.

"So you're the intruder. Identify yourself!" Gantu says pointing his blaster at Ventus

"My name is Ventus. The monster I was chasing boarded your ship."

"Nice try. If there was another intruder aboard, we'd have detected it." Gantu says

Suddenly, the ship began to shake violently. Then, a female operator spoke from the PA with some grim news.

 _"Intruder in the machinery bay! We lost control of the engines! I-it's some kind of monster!"_ The operator says

"Now you tell me! Stay right there! I have a lot of unpleasant questions to ask you." Gantu says

With that said, Gantu runs off.

"This is my fault. I have to do something." Ventus says

Ventus began running toward the door until Experiment 626 drops down from the ceiling infront of him.

"Ven...? Terra... Ah-koo-wah... Sha-ra... Du...car..." Experiment 626 says

"What? You know Terra, Aqua, Shara and Ducar?" Ventus asks

Experiment 626 takes out his Wayfinder which he names "Friend Circle"

"Frien... Circle!" Experiment 626 says

"Hey... is that a Wayfinder?" Ventus asks

The ship continues to shake violently again and the operator came onto the PA.

 _"The engines are under too much stress. We're risking an explosion!"_ The operator says

"What am I doing?! There's no time!" Ventus says

Ventus runs off with Experiment 626 following him.

"No! You need to stay here. It's too dangerous." Ventus says

Having said that, Ventus runs off. Experiment 626 stays behind and looks at his Wayfinder. Suddenly, a blaster shot hits 626 and destroys his Wayfinder. The shot came from Gantu who approaches the small alien.

"I don't know how you did it, but you won't get away again. Hmph. You haven't fooled me. You can bat your eyes all you want at the Grand Councilwoman so she'll reconsider your sentence. But I see you for what you really are, an abomination that's only instinct is to destroy everything it touches." Gantu says

Experiment 626 growls at Gantu, not very happy that he had destroyed his Wayfinder.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Ventus arrives in the engine room and saw the giant Unversed circling the ships engine core.

"End of the line!" Ventus says summoning his Keyblade

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Experiment 626 jumps in and joins Ventus in fighting the Unversed.

"Hey! You shouldn't be here!" Ventus says

626 began yelling at the Unversed in gibberish.

"What is it?" Ventus asks

Again, 626 continued to yell in gibberish. Ventus turned his attention back toward the Unversed and braced himself for the task at hand.

The Metamorphosis attacked first by spinning around like a top toward Ventus and 626 in an attempt to slash them with it's three arms. The two quickly jumped out of the way, dodging the attack. Then, the large Unversed took it's tail, aimed it at Ventus, and fired a triangle-shaped laser blast at him. Ventus rolled out of the way, dodging the laser blast. The Metamorphosis kept it's tail aimed at Ventus and fired multiple laser blasts at him. Ventus ran around the engine room, evading the laser blasts as they trailed him.

Eventually, Ventus hurls his Keyblade at the large Unversed, landing a hit to it's face, stunning it for a brief moment. Ventus jumps up at the Unversed and bashes it multiple times with his Keyblade.

626 shoots the Unversed with his two blasters, catching it's attention. The Metamorphosis raised one of it's tentacles and takes a slash at 626, but the small alien leaps out of the way with a somersault.

Ventus hits the Unversed with a rapid eight hit combo and finishes with an advancing spin attack that hits six times. Next, Ventus attacks with a six left and right slashes, a charging spin attack followed by six downward slashes. Then, he strikes the Unversed with a series of teleporting slashes, zipping back and forth in all directions.

After striking the Unversed multiple times, Ventus jumps up toward the Unversed and cleaves his Keyblade down on it slicing it in two, finishing the fight. The giant Unversed fades away in a cloud of darkness.

Even though the Unversed was finished, 626 was still agitated.

"It's over! Cut it out!" Ventus says

Ventus places his hands on 626 to try and calm him down, but only caused himself to be knocked back down.

"Whoa!" Ventus says as he's thrown back

Eventually, 626 calms down.

"What's gotten into you?" Ventus asks

626 turns around and shows Ventus his ruined Wayfinder.

"I see... your Wayfinder broke. Well, don't worry. Friendship's more than an object." Ventus says

"Fren...ship... Cir...cle?" 626 says

Ventus nods yes. Then, out of nowhere, Gantu arrives.

"Hmph. Don't let the little mimic fool you. You saw for yourself what kind of monster that thing is. All it knows how to do is hurt and destroy." Gantu says

"Monster? He helped me stop the monster!" Ventus says

"You must've triggered some sort of mutation hidden in the little freak's genetic coding." Gantu says

"Ven. Fren!" 626 says

"That's right! We are friends!" Ventus says

"Better say your good-byes cause 626 is about to be destroyed!" Gantu says pointing his blaster toward 626

In that moment, 626 jumps onto Gantu's head and knocks him down to the ground.

"C'mon!" Ventus says

With Gantu down, Ventus and Experiment 626 began to make a run for it.

"Sound the alarm! Prisoners on the loose! Don't let them get away!" Gantu says

( _Moments later_ )

Ventus was in his Keyblade Armor riding his Keyblade Glider flying away from the ship with Experiment 626 piloting a red cruiser right alongside him. Several cruisers chased after Ventus and 626.

"Where are we going?" Ventus asks

Experiment 626 began fiddling with the ships controls.

 _"Hyperdrive has been activated. System charging. Warning. Guidance is not functional. Navigation failure. Do not engage hyperdrive. Repeat. Do not engage-"_

626 accidentally activates his craft's hyperdrive. The cruisers that pursued Ventus and Experiment 626 began to break off and retreat.

"Break formation! Get clear!" One of the pilots says

626 looked over at Ventus and yelled something in gibberish.

"What is it? What's going on?" Ventus asks

Suddenly, the red cruiser took off at high speed, blasting Ventus off his Keyblade Glider.

"Wha!" Ventus exclaims

"Ven!" Experiment 626 cries out as he disappears into space

Ventus screams as he disappears into space.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** And that wraps up Deep Space! Terra, Ducar, Aqua and Shara visit Stitch's World more likely the ship and meet Stitch himself. Ven meets Stitch for a brief moment, then faces off against the Unversed. Afterwards, he escapes the ship with Stitch until the little experiment engages the hyperdrive. Stitch gets sent elsewhere, but what happened to Ventus? Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	30. Off to Neverland

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _Neverland_ )

Mickey finds himself in Neverland inside the Indian Village after the Star Shard brought him here. While exploring the camp, he stumbles upon a corridor of darkness which opens up infront of him. Feeling cautious, Mickey looks around, scanning the area. He then turns around and saw Vanitas standing infront of him. And as if things couldn't get any worse, Lord Thanatos walks out from the dark corridor and approaches Mickey from behind. A villainous smile crept upon his face although it couldn't be seen underneath his mask.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Ventus was unconscious elsewhere in Neverland after being thrown off his Keyblade Glider when Experiment 626 took off into space. As he slowly started to regain consciousness, he heard some muffled voices talking.

"Tinkerbell." A young male voice says

"Uh... he ain't movin'..." Another young male voice says

Ventus slowly opened his eyes as he began to awaken. His vision came out blurry, but it soon started to clear. Ventus soon saw the small fairy, Tinkerbell, who had her left-foot back ready to kick him.

"Let's try kickin' him!" The first voice says

Ventus now wide awake winds up getting kicked by Tinkerbell.

"Wha-ah!" Ventus says

Ventus rolls over until he stops at the feet of two boys, both of whom were wearing two different costumes. The one who wore a fox costume was Slightly while the other was Cubby who wore a bear costume.

"Who are you?" Cubby asks

"Name's Ventus. But everybody just calls me Ven. Hm. Guess when I sat down to rest, I must've fallen asleep."

"But where'd ya come from?" Slightly asks

"Well, you see..." Ventus says

Tinkerbell fluttered over to Slightly and began pulling on the right-ear of Slightly's costume.

"All right, all right, we're goin'." Slightly says

"So long, Ven!" Cubby says

The Lost Boys and Tinkerbell began heading off in a different direction when Ventus spoke out to them, making them stop.

"Hey, where you guys off to?" Ventus asks

"Tink saw a shootin' star and we're gonna go hunt it down!" Cubby says

"A shooting star? Mind if I come along?" Ven asks excited

"'Course not. But ya gotta agree to follow us!" Slightly says

"Yeah! It's right over... over uh... That-a way! By the Indian Camp!" Cubby says

"Ready, men? Forward march!" Slightly says

"'Kay!" Ventus says

With that said, the two Lost Boys trailed off down the path with Ventus following them.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Terra and Ducar both arrive in Neverland at the crest of the Rainbow Falls. As soon as they arrive, the two men saw Captain Hook and Smee standing next to a large treasure chest under attack by a group of Flood Unversed.

"What are they, Cap'n?" Smee asks

"Back! You'll not get me treasure!" Captain Hook says

"Leave them to us!" Ducar says

Terra and Ducar both summoned their Keyblades into their hands and faced the Unversed while Captain Hook and Smee ran to safety.

Terra charges at one of the Flood and strikes it down with a right-diagonal slash. Next, he takes out another Flood with a backhand left-uppercut, slicing it in half. One Flood sank into the ground and moved over to the right to try and attack Terra from the side. Terra caught sight of the Flood and he quickly dispatches it with a right-slash. The last remaining Flood tried to attack Terra while his back was turned. Without even looking, Terra leapt up into the air with a backflip, dodging the attack. He then raised his Keyblade over his head and slammed it down on the Flood.

Now it was up to Ducar to finish his group of Unversed.

Ducar rushes forward at the first Unversed in his view and thrusts his Keyblade at it, destroying it right on the spot. One Flood leapt forward at Ducar for an attack, but he cuts it down with a spinning slash, performing an upward spiral. Ducar lands back on the ground and strikes down another Flood with a downward slash, performing a cartwheel kick. The remaining Flood sank into the ground, moved around Ducar, and shot up into the air to try and attack him from above. Ducar looked up and saw the Unversed up above him. Reacting quickly, Ducar leapt up and sliced the Flood in half with his Keyblade.

Ducar lands back down on the ground and spun his Keyblade around in victory having defeated his group of Unversed.

As soon as the Unversed were gone, Captain Hook and Smee approach the two Keyblade Wielders.

"If we needed your assistance, we would have demanded it. We had the situation under control. Isn't that right, Smee?" Hook says

"Oh yes, Cap'n. Completely. We woulda cleaved those fiends to a brisket, we would." Smee says

"And don't think your efforts mean you'll get a share of me treasure. Understand?" Hook says

"We're not after your precious box, Captain." Terra says

"We're looking for two people. A boy wearing a mask and a dark being named Lord Thanatos. Ring any bells?" Ducar asks

"No, not a one." Hook says turning away

"Figures." Terra says

Captain Hook walks up to Smee and spoke to him.

"Smee! Ye blithering barnacle! We're off. We shall leave this place before the light draws 'em back again." Hook says

Terra and Ducar gasp in shock hearing _'light'_ from Captain Hook.

"Hey, hold on. What did you just say about the light?" Terra asks

Captain Hook was surprised that the two Keyblade Wielders reacted to what he had just said. He put his hook hand to his chin and pondered to himself. It didn't take him long to come up with a scheme to use them in his plot. With an idea already in his wicked mind, Captain Hook smiled to himself.

"Ah yes, it's heartbreaking really. This chest, you see, contains light gathered from all around. And I got an acquaintance, a boy, who's sure to try and seize it." Hook says

"A boy who's after the light." Terra says

"If it's not Vanitas, then who?" Ducar asks

"Hey, why don't we help you keep the light safe? Maybe you could tell us more about this boy who's troubling you." Terra says

"What's his name?" Ducar asks

"Peter Pan. This chest must be brought safely to Skull Rock Island. Don't let that Peter Pan anywhere near it" Hook says

"Right." Ducar says

"We got it covered." Terra says

The two Keyblade Wielders helped carry the chest and heft it onto a wooden boat. Then, they followed Captain Hook and Smee as they sailed over to Skull Rock Island.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Ventus, Tinker Bell, and the Lost Boys head into the jungle and come into a clearing. Just then, Peter Pan flies overhead and hovers down to them.

"Peter Pan!" The Lost Boys exclaim happily.

Peter Pan notices Ventus and hovers around him.

"Who do we have here? Never seen you before." Peter Pan says

"I'm Ventus. Call me Ven."

"Well... if you say so." Peter Pan says

Peter Pan lands on the ground and turns his attention to the two Lost Boys.

"Ten-shun!" Peter Pan says

The Lost Boys stand at attention and salute to Peter Pan.

"Now then, men. I don't suppose you'd wanna capture some real pirate treasure?" Peter Pan says

"Real Pirate Treasure?!" Slightly says

"Sure!" Cubby says

"Well, guess who caught sight of Hook right when he was stashing his treasure? Whaddya say we sneak in and grab it?" Peter Pan says

"Oh boy!" Cubby says feeling excited

"Let's go! Let's go!" Slightly says feeling excited

Tinker Bell fluttered over to the two Lost Boys and kicked their heads. Then, she flew over infront of Peter Pan.

"Tinker Bell? What's gotten into you?" Peter Pan asks

"We were all supposed to go hunt for a shooting star together." Ventus says

"Forget that. Pirate treasure is way more fun. Tink, you're comin' with us!" Peter Pan says

Tinkerbell becomes upset and flies off.

"Well, that's no way to respond to an invitation." Peter Pan says

Peter Pan turns his attention toward Ventus.

"C'mon, Ven. You're a much better sport than her, right?" Peter Pan asks

"I'd love to join you, but... first I wanna find the shooting star." Ventus says

Peter Pan was a bit shocked to hear Ventus turn down his offer, but agreeingly lets him go. Ventus and Tinker Bell continued to look for the shooting star while Peter Pan and the Lost Boys went after Captain Hook's treasure.

( _Moments later_ )

Ventus and Tinkerbell walk into the Indian Village where they find Mickey's Star Shard.

"Mickey's Star Shard?" Ventus says

Tinkerbell flies ahead of Ventus only to get caught by Captain Hook. Ventus quickly summoned his Keyblade into his hand, seeing that Tinkerbell was in trouble. Captain Hook had Tinkerbell in his right-hand and Mickey's Star Shard in his hook hand.

"A shooting star and a pixie! Must be me birthday." Hook says

"Let Tinkerbell go!" Ventus shouts

"One of Peter Pan's brats. Well, tell that cowardly sparrow if he wants his precious Tinkerbell back, he'd best meet me at Mermaid Lagoon!" Hook says

Having said that, Captain Hook and Smee run off with Tinkerbell and Mickey's Star Shard.

"Stop!" Ventus says chasing after them

Suddenly, Flood Unversed appear and surround Ventus.

"Scram!" Ventus says

Ventus got into battle stance and braced himself as he prepared to face the Unversed.

( _Meanwhle_ )

At Skull Rock Island, Terra and Ducar bring Captain Hook's treasure chest into a large cavern and set it down.

"Well done." Hook congratulates

"Pardon me, Cap'n, but it's about that shooting star I was mentionin to ye." Smee says

"Mister Smee, I ordered ya to drop that. I'll have ya not be gushin' on about some shooting star." Hook says

"But Cap'n! Most shooting stars twinkle for a bit 'n' they go out. But this one, it kept on sparklin' and shinin' even after it crashed down. Why, what if it's really a big enormous, priceless gemstone?" Smee says

Captain Hook was shocked to hear this and turns back toward Smee.

"Idiot! Why didn't you tell me?" Hook says

Captain Hook turns his attention toward Terra and Ducar.

"Ahem... We've a bit of business to attend to and must, I fear, step away. I trust you two can see to things till I return." Captain Hook says

"Sure. When Peter Pan gets here, we'll be waiting." Terra says

"And we'll be ready." Ducar says

After hearing this, Captain Hook and Smee leave the island to go after the shooting star, which Hook hopes to be treasure.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Terra and Ducar were guarding Captain Hook's treasure while Peter Pan and the Lost Boys spied on him from a ledge up above.

"That old codfish... Looks like he's found himself some new flunkies. I'll fly down and distract them. Men, you move in and nab the treasure!" Peter Pan says

Having said that, Peter Pan flies down and distracts Terra and Ducar while the Lost Boys went after Captain Hook's treasure chest.

"Are you Peter Pan?!" Ducar asks

"That's me!" Peter Pan says

"The light is not yours to take!" Terra says

Peter Pan hovers down to the ground to confront the two men and draws his dagger. Terra and Ducar both summoned their Keyblades and got into battle stance.

"What do you want with the light?" Ducar asks

"Light? What light?" Peter Pan asks

As the three faced each other, Cubby spoke out, drawing their attention.

"Look, Pan! We got the chest!" Slightly says

Terra and Ducar looked over and saw the Lost Boys carrying the treasure chest they were supposed to be guarding.

"No! Not yet, you blockheads!" Peter Pan says

"Hey!" Terra shouts

Terra and Ducar chase after the Lost Boys. Cubby trips and drop the chest in their escape. When Terra and Ducar reach the treasure chest, they are both surprised to find that the chest contains pirate loot.

"That hurt!" Slightly says

"Ohh... sorry." Cubby

"Now what is this?" Ducar asks

"Pirate Treasure, o' course. Jewels, doubloons, ya know, the usual stuff." Peter Pan says

"We've been guarding a pile of loot?" Terra asks

"Sounds like you two were tricked." Peter Pan says

"I'll say." Terra says

Ducar face-palmed his face with his right-hand and let out a sigh.

"Ugh... I can't believe we've been tricked again. God, I feel so stupid!" Ducar grunts

The two Keyblade Wielders turn to face Peter Pan, giving them their sincerest apologies.

"We owe you an apology. We picked a fight over nothing." Ducar says

"Aw, it was all in good fun. Not everyday I get to fight two very good swordsmen. Say, what's your names anyway?" Peter Pan says

"Terra."

"Ducar."

"Right then, Terra, Ducar. Which way did Hook go?" Peter Pan asks

"They said something about a shooting star..." Ducar says

"Shooting star? Tinkerbell must be in danger! Men, guard that treasure with your lives!" Peter Pan says

Having said that, Peter Pan flies off.

"Aye, aye sir!" Cubby says

"Go an' get 'em, Pan!" Slightly says

"We should be on our way." Terra says

"Right." Ducar says

With that said, Terra and Ducar began to take their leave. Just as they were heading out, the Lost Boys screamed from within the cave.

"Ah! It's a monster!" Slightly screams

"Somebody help!" Cubby screams

Ducar and Terra run back into the cave and saw the Lost Boys running away from countless Jellyshade Unversed.

"Unversed!" Terra exclaims

"Stay back!" Ducar says

Ducar and Terra both summoned their Keyblades and dealt with the Unversed while the Lost Boys ran past them to safety.

The Unversed surrounded Ducar and Terra overwhelming them in numbers. Terra and Ducar cut through the ranks of Unversed one by one with only a swipe from their Keyblades.

Eventually, all the Unversed were defeated and the cavern was clear.

"Boy, you sure cut those monsters down to size." Slightly says

"Shhh..." Terra whispers

"Quiet..." Ducar whispers

The group soon heard Captain Hook's voice coming from outside.

"Ahoy! How fare ye, lads?!" Hook says

"Hook!" The Lost Boys exclaim

"Go hide." Terra says

The Lost Boys run and hide while the two men address Captain Hook.

"Fine! All's well!" Ducar says

Captain Hook enters the cave from around the corner with Tinker Bell imprisoned inside a lantern. The two men quickly noticed the small fairy inside the lantern.

"What's that?" Terra asks

"Tinker Bell. One of Peter Pan's dearest friends." Hook says

"Can we take a look?" Ducar asks

Captain Hook hands Tinkerbell to Ducar and Terra and turns around. While his back was turned, Ducar releases Tinkerbell from the lantern.

"As long as I have his precious pixie, Pan's demise is all but assured." Hook says

Captain Hook laughs to himself, but when he looks up, he saw that Tinker Bell had been freed. Tinker Bell kicks Captain Hook in the nose, knocking back despite her small size. Captain Hook turned around to face the two men who were responsible for releasing the small fairy.

"What is the meaning of this?" Hook asks

"You know, we didn't give it much thought." Terra says

"Just doing what our hearts tell us." Ducar says

"That's mutiny! And you'll both walk the plank for it!" Hook says

Terra and Ducar summon their Keyblades ready for whatever Captain Hook had up his sleeve. Suddenly, they hear a ticking sound coming from somewhere in the cavern.

"That sound!" Hook exclaims with a horrified voice

Captain Hook turns and sees the crocodile responsible for giving him his hook hand in the water eyeing him with it's hungry gaze. Captain Hook runs away panicking. When he was gone, the Lost Boys come out of their hiding spot

"Hooray! We sure showed Hook this time!" Slightly says

Terra and Ducar dismiss their Keyblades and began to notice wisps of light raining down in the cave thanks to Tinker Bell. In that moment, Terra and Ducar remember when Ventus, Aqua, Shara, and themselves were back in the Land of Departure sitting underneath the starry night sky.

( _Flashback_ )

 _"That every star up there is another world." Terra says_

 _"Terra." Aqua says_

 _"Yep. Hard to believe that there are so many worlds out there than just ours." Terra says_

 _"And there's more to those stars. The light is their hearts and it shines down on us like a million lanterns." Ducar says_

 _"What? I don't get it." Ven says confused_

 _"In other words, they're just like you, Ven." Terra says_

 _"What does that mean?" Ven asks_

 _"You'll find out someday." Terra says_

 _"I wanna know now." Ven says_

In another memory, they remember how they all laughed together that night.

While Terra remember those moments together with his friends, Ducar remembered how life was back in the Celestial Relams.

( _Flashback_ )

Ducar remembers when he, his wife, Shara, and his 5 year-old son, Devon would live peacefully together. He remembered how The Celestial Realms was always peaceful. The warmth of the blue moonlight always calming them with its pure radiance. All the beautiful exotic plant life that filled their world. The crystals glowing in their rainbow of colors. All the humans, dragons, dinosaurs, and other amazing creatures that happily co-existed together living alongside each other in peace and harmony. The wisps of light floating about everywhere. The calmful sounds of the waves as they came upon the beaches. The warmth of the white, pristine sand and the clear blue waters. The stars glittering in the night sky. Their lovely home that sat near the serene beaches overlooking the sea. The happiness that he, his wife, and their son shared together. Even the constellation: Draco that looked over this peaceful world. All the happy memories Ducar held close to his heart came flowing back to him, soothing his soul.

 _"One day, my family and I will return home. And we shall live in peace and prosperity just as we always have."_ Ducar thought to himself

( _Present time_ )

Terra and Ducar were soon snapped back into reality when they heard Cubby talking.

"Aww, so much for the pirate treasure." Cubby says.

The treasure chest that was once filled with treasure was now empty thanks to the Unversed.

"Did you guys really want the jewels and gold so badly?" Ducar asks

"Nah, we don't care about that stuff." Slightly says

"Uh... but, Pan was uh countin' on us." Cubby says

Ducar kneeled down to the Lost Boys and gave them an idea.

"I'll tell ya what, put the stuff that's really special to you in there. That can be your treasure." Ducar says

"Yeah!" Cubby says

"Real swell idea! Thanks!" Slightly says

The two Lost Boys soon left with the now-empty treasure chest in hand.

"Kind of makes us wonder what we'd put in there." Terra says

"Yeah." Ducar says

Soon, the two Keyblade Wielders take their leave and continue their journey.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Ventus runs into the gully after dealing with the Unversed. He looks around left and right, but doesn't see Captain Hook or Tinker Bell anywhere.

"I lost them." Ventus says looking down

Ventus looks up into the sky and remembers when he, Aqua, Terra, Ducar, and Shara sat underneath the stars back in the Land of Departure.

( _Fashback_ )

 _"You ever wonder what stars are? Where light comes from?" Ven asks_

In another memory, Ventus remembers how they all laughed together that night.

( _Present time_ )

Ventus was soon snapped back into reality when he heard Peter Pan's voice.

"Look out below!" Peter Pan says

Peter Pan flies down and meets up with Ventus.

"Peter, help! Tinker Bell's been pixie-napped!" Ventus says

"Then I'm too late. Hook's gonna pay for this!" Peter Pan says

"He said to meet at Mermaid Lagoon." Ventus says

"Gotta be an ambush. Hmph, that old codfish thinks he's clever." Peter Pan says

"Well I'm going too." Ventus says

"Well, we have to hurry. Can you keep up?" Peter Pan says

"You bet!" Ventus says

Ventus and Peter Pan began making their way toward Mermaid Lagoon. Out on Captain Hook's Ship, Smee spots Ventus and Peter Pan through his telescope.

"Peter Pan ahoy! Man the Long Tom and... fire!" Smee commands

The ship fires a cannonball toward Ventus and Peter Pan. The cannonball misses and explodes behind them.

"Cannon fire? Where's that coming from?" Ventus asks

"On the water! Over there!" Peter Pan says pointing toward Captain Hook's ship out in the sea

Out of nowhere, Tinkerbell flies up to Peter Pan and Ventus.

"Tink! It's you and you're all right! What? Strange fellahs with funny-lookin' swords has-" Peter Pan says

Captain Hook's ship continued to bombard the shore interrupting Peter Pan.

"Hold on! I gotta stop that cannon!" Peter Pan says

"Okay. I'll go after Hook." Ventus says

"Right. Tink, if you would." Peter Pan says

Tinker Bell began flying around Ventus, making pixie dust fall on him, granting him the ability to fly.

"What?" Ventus says baffled

"It's pixie dust. I bet you feel lighter now, don'tcha?" Peter Pan says

Having said that, Peter Pan and Tinker Bell take off toward Captain Hook's Ship while Ventus continued toward Mermaid Lagoon.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Captain Hook waited impatiently for Peter Pan to arrive, tapping his foot on the ground with his arms crossed.

"Alas, and so passeth a worthy opponent. To think that his would be such an inglorious end." Captain Hook says

Captain Hook hung his body over and let out a sight. He then began laughing to himself.

"At last, that scurvy brat will never trouble me again!" Captain Hook cheers

"I wouldn't be too sure of that, Hook!" A male voice says

Captain Hook turns around and saw Ventus standing on the path which he came from.

"Swoggle me eyes! No, don't tell me!" Captain Hook says

Captain Hook took out his telescope and looks out toward his ship. He saw that Peter Pan had taken over his ship.

"Blast that Peter Pan!" Captain Hook curses

Suddenly, Captain Hook heard a ticking sound.

"That sound!" Captain Hook exclaims

He turns, looks toward the water, and saw the crocodile looking at him.

"No! Not again! S-stay away from me!" Captain Hook says

Captain Hook turned around to try to flee, but Ventus blocks his path.

"I don't think so!" Ventus says

Ventus slams his Keyblade at Captain Hook, knocking him off the flat rock and into the water. When Captain Hook surfaces, he saw the crocodile infront of him.

"Leave me alone! Help me, Smee! Smeeeeee!" Captain Hook says swimming away from the crocodile

"Ahoy! Look what we brought!" A male voice says

Ventus turned and saw the Lost Boys approach him by boat with the treasure chest and Peter Pan flying alongside them.

"It's a Pirate's Treasure Chest!" Slightly says

( _Moments later_ )

The Lost Boys, Tinker Bell, and Peter Pan reach land and meet up with Ventus. They took the treasure chest out from the boat and placed it onto the ground.

"Treasure!" Ventus says feeling excited

"Yup! The same chest I told ya about. We snatched it from Hook's hiding place." Peter Pan says

Peter Pan opens the chest only to find that it's empty.

"Huh? How come it's empty?" Peter Pan asks

"Uh, sorry, but... we lost all the treasure." Cubby says

"Oh well, that's too bad." Ventus says

"Aw, who needs it? It was probably full of dumb old jewels or doubloons or somethin' anyways." Peter Pan says

"We could just put what we treasure in there instead, if ya wanna?" Slightly says

"Yeah, that's perfect! Instead of fillin' it up with jewels and gold and stuff, we'll put in what's truly special to us. The real riches!" Peter Pan says

Soon, the group began filling the chest with toy wooden swords and wooden bows.

"What are you puttin' in, Ven?" Peter Pan asks

"I dunno." Ventus says placing his right-hand to his chin

Ventus then takes out Terra's Wooden Keyblade.

"How 'bout this?" Ventus asks

"Hm. What is it?" Peter Pan asks

"It's... just something that one of my best friends gave me." Ventus says

"So it's like a keepsake, huh? You sure you wanna part with somethin' that special?" Peter Pan asks

"Yup. I don't need it if I got Terra, Aqua, Shara, Ducar, and Devon. Our best memories are still ahead." Ventus says

"All right then. Next time ya visit, we'll have an even bigger chest waitin'. Enough for all those treasures and lots more." Peter Pan says

"Okay. It's a deal." Ventus says

Ventus places the Wooden Keyblade into the chest. He soon notices Tinker Bell carrying Mickey's Star Shard.

"Oh, wait, Tink, I'm pretty sure that belongs to a friend of mine. Do you think maybe I could hang onto it?" Ventus asks

Tinker Bell nods no and was about to fly away when Peter Pan stops her.

"Now Tink!" Peter Pan snaps

Tinkerbell hands Ventus Mickey's Star Shard and as soon as she does, the Star Shard begins to shine brightly enveloping the area in a bright, blinding light. When the light dims down, Ventus was nowhere to be seen

"He... he's gone!" Slightly says

"Look! The light!" Cubby says

Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and the Lost Boys look up and see a light bouncing up into the sky and into the stars. It turns out that the light was Ventus.

"Don't worry, men. No matter where that light takes him, Ven'll always have friends waitin' to meet him." Peter Pan says

( _Moments later_ )

The Lost Boys arrive in the Indian Village and see a treasure map on the ground.

"Over there!" Cubby says

"I'm gonna be the leader!" Slightly says

The Lost Boys began making a run for the map. But in that moment, Aqua picks up the map. With her was Shara, Ducar's wife and Devon's mother.

"We're so close." Slightly says

"Too bad, men. Tough break." Peter Pan says flying in

"But Pan!" The Lost Boys says

"No buts. You know the rules. The first one to find and claim the treasure map gets to be the leader. And that's you." Peter Pan says

"Leader?" Aqua asks feeling confused

"Of the expatition!" Slightly says

"Uhh, we're goin' on a treasure hunt. And that's our map you got!" Cubby says

Tinker Bell flies over to Peter Pan furious.

"Whaddya mean? I never said girls can't be part of the gang. C'mon, Tink. The more the merrier." Peter Pan says

"We apologize, but we have other matters we desperately need to attend to." Shara says

Shara takes the map from Aqua and offers it to Peter Pan.

"Here. You keep it." Shara says

"Too bad... but rules are rules. I guess we'll just have to call off the treasure hunt." Peter Pan says

"No!" The Lost Boys says

Shara and Aqua look toward each other and sigh.

"Alright. You win. We'll join you for one expedition." Shara says

The Lost Boys were very delighted to hear that and they both cheered.

"Whoopee!" The Lost Boys cheer

Shara opens up the map and examines it.

"As far as I know, we're here. And the mark here is where we'll find the treasure." Shara says

"Enough pointin'. C'mon, let's go!" Slightly says

"Wait a second. We still don't even know our leader's name! I'm Peter Pan. The jealous one over here is Tinkerbell. And you are?"

"Aqua."

"Shara."

"So you're Aqua and Shara! Now, first stop, Mermaid Lagoon!" Peter Pan says

With that said, Shara, Aqua, Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and the Lost Boys began their treasure hunt and began making their way toward Mermaid Lagoon. Along the way, they run into Captain Hook who stood on a ledge up above them.

"I have you now, Peter Pan! Today's the day I shall be rid of you forever!" Hook says

"I'm busy right now, Hook! We're on an expatition! Can't I show you up some other day?" Peter Pan says

"You'll show me up now! Give me back me treasure!" Hook says

"Who's that?" Aqua asks

"Aw, that's just Captain Hook. He's a two-bit pirate codfish." Peter Pan says

"I'll cleave you into two bits, boy! Smee!" Hook says

Out on Captain Hook's ship, Smee notices Hook's signal.

"Oh, that was the Captain's signal. Fire!" Smee says

The ship fires a cannonball toward Shara, Aqua, Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, and the Lost Boys. The cannonball misses and explodes behind them.

"We're sitting ducks out here!" Aqua says

"Run!" Shara says

Shara, Aqua, Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, and the Lost Boys flee the area. Eventually, they made it to safety deeper into the island. They soon found themselves standing infront of a tall cliff.

"What is it?" Aqua asks

"The mark on the map points all the way up there." Cubby says

"Aww, relax. A little pixie dust, and we'll be there in a jiffy." Peter Pan says

"But we've never had to flied that high up before." Cubby says

"Hey, when did you two turn into cowards?" Peter Pan says

"Don't you think you might be asking a bit much for them?" Shara asks

"This is between me and them, Shara." Peter Pan says

Peter Pan crosses his arms and looks down at the Lost Boys.

"Men, only the bravest of the brave can claim that treasure." Peter Pan says

"Yeah, we know..." Cubby says

"Tink, if you would." Peter Pan says

Tinker Bell crossed her arms and looked away.

"We haven't got all day." Peter Pan says

Tinker Bell flew up the cliff, leaving behind a trail of pixie dust.

"Here we go!" Peter Pan says

Peter Pan flew up the cliff followed by the Lost Boys and the two female Keyblade Masters. When they reach the top, Aqua noticed something.

"Wait. Aren't we back where we started?" Aqua asks

"You mean we went all around Never Land for nothin'?" Slightly asks

"Well you certainly conquered alot of obstacles to get here, didn't you? And to me, that's not nothing." Peter Pan says

"You're too late, Peter Pan!" A male voice says

Shara, Aqua, Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and the Lost Boys look ahead of them and see Captain Hook and Smee with the treasure chest which unknown to Captain Hook was full of the junk that Peter Pan and the Lost Boys stored inside.

"I'll be taking back what's mine now." Hook says

"It's Hook!" Peter Pan exclaims

"Smee, secure me treasure." Hook says

"Aye-aye, Cap'n!" Smee says

Smee opens the chest and screams as he was shocked at what he finds inside.

"What is it now?" Hook asks annoyed

"C-Cap'n, it's the treasure. I-It's been..." Smee says

"Spit it out, you idiot!" Hook says looking back toward Smee

Captain Hook soon turns his attention toward the treasure chest and realizes that it was all junk.

"Odd's fish! It's all junk!" Hook exclaims

"Whaddya mean, junk? Those are our treasures, Hook!" Peter Pan says

"But what did you do with MY treasure?" Hook asks

"Oh, we losted it all." Cubby says

"You what!? You scurvy brats have crossed me for the last time!" Hook says

Suddenly, Captain Hook began hearing a ticking sound.

"Hmm? What's that? That sound..." Hook says looking around nervously

He soon turns his attention toward the water and sees the crocodile.

"Not you again! No, get away from me! Smee! Do something! Smee!" Hook says panicking

Soon, Captain Hook flees abandoning the treasure chest.

"Wait, Cap'n!" Smee says chasing after Captain Hook

Shara, Aqua, Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and the Lost Boys all laugh. After enjoying their moment of watching Captain Hook flee in panic, they head over to the treasure chest. Shara and Aqua immediately notice the Wooden Keyblade Ventus left behind.

"Is this..." Aqua says

"Oh, Ventus left that here. I guess it's a special keepsake or somethin'. But don't worry about him. He said he would be all right without it. And then he'd promise to visit us again with even better treasures maybe enough to fill a hundred treasure chests." Peter Pan says

"Ven... He was here..." Aqua says

While Aqua looked down at the the Wooden Keyblade, Shara senses something was wrong and looks off in another direction with a serious look on her face.

"And someone else." Shara says

Aqua followed her gaze and saw that she was looking off toward the Indian Village.

"What's the matter?" Cubby asks

"It's nothing. Best that you stay here. Aqua, let's go." Shara says

"Right." Aqua says

Aqua and Shara run off toward the Indian Village while Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and the Lost Boys look at each other confused. Once they reach the Indian Village, they look around for any suspicious activity. Then, the two women heard a voice that spoke out to them.

"So, having a good time hanging out with the kiddies?" A male voice asks

Aqua and Shara immediately turn around and see Vanitas and Lord Thanatos under the guise of his dark cloak walking toward them. Lord Thanatos had Ventus's Wooden Keyblade in his right-hand.

"How'd you get that?" Aqua asks

Lord Thanatos hands the Wooden Keyblade to Vanitas who had the same evil intent he had on his mind.

"I think that kid's outgrown such a childish toy if you ask my opinion." Vanitas says

Vanitas grabs hold of the Wooden Keyblade with both hands and breaks it in two with a loud snap. Shara and Aqua gasp in complete shock. Vanitas tosses the broken Wooden Keyblade aside and summons his Dark Keyblade.

"Just like I've outgrown my need for you two." Vanitas says

"You freak!" Aqua yells in anger

"You'll pay for that!" Shara yells in anger

Shara and Aqua both summon their Keyblades into their hands and got into battle stance. Lord Thanatos stretches his right-arm out and summons his Dark Keyblade: The Harbinger of Shadows into his right-hand. Aqua went up against Vanitas while Shara took on Lord Thanatos.

Vanitas made the first move by leaping up into the air and swinging his Dark Keyblade with a horizontal slash, launching dark blue lightning bolts down toward Aqua who instinctively jumps back, dodging the attack. Vanitas lands back on the ground and attacks again, launching a dark blue fireball from the tip of his Dark Keyblade, just as he did back in Radiant Garden. The fireball splits apart into three more fireballs and they all home in on the female Keyblade Master. Aqua raises her Keyblade above her head and a bright light envelopes it, creating a spherical barrier of blue light which encases her inside. The fireballs hit the barrier and explode, but the female Keyblade Master was left unscathed, thanks to the magical barrier that protected her.

Aqua aims her Keyblade at Vanitas and launches three fireballs toward him. Instead of dodging the fireballs, Vanitas did something else which caught Aqua completely by surprise. Vanitas deflects the fireballs away from him, each with a swing of his Dark Keyblade.

Now, it was Vanitas' turn to strike. But what he did next surprised Aqua. Vanitas stretches his left-hand out to the ground infront of him and opens up a pool of darkness. He jumps into the dark pool and disappears. Aqua looked around cautiously for Vanitas, knowing that he could come out and strike her from anywhere. She suddenly heard the noise of a portal opening up above her and looked up. Aqua gasped in shock and quickly leapt out of the way just as Vanitas slammed his Dark Keyblade down.

Aqua was surprised by the new tricks that Vanitas was using against her. Apparently, he had learned a few things while hanging around with Lord Thanatos which was really not good for her. But she had some tricks of her own.

As she stood against the masked boy, Aqua began to glow with a bright blue aura and her Keyblade began to hover around her.

Imbued with the power of light, Aqua hurls her Keyblade at Vanitas through telekinesis, striking him four times. She then charges up an orb of light from the tip of her Keyblade and fires it straight toward Vanitas. Upon impact, the orb explodes in a flash of light, stunning Vanitas for a brief moment. With Vanitas left stunned, Aqua rushes forward at the masked boy and knocks him into the air with an uppercut. She then leaps up and delivers a flying kick to his chest.

Vanitas was sent flying back after receiving the blow. He soon lands flat on his back with his arms and legs spread out. His Dark Keyblade fell down from the sky behind him.

Aqua fell onto her knees, exhausted from her fight with the masked boy. She looked over to her right and saw Shara facing off against Lord Thanatos. The female Keyblade Master tried to get back up and help Shara in her fight, but she collapsed onto the ground. She just didn't have the strength to fight anymore. With tiredness and exhaustion consuming her, Aqua laid her head down and her eyes slowly closed as she slipped away into unconsciousness.

With Aqua and Vanitas down for the count, all that remained now was Shara and her fight against Lord Thanatos.

Lord Thanatos strikes first by thrusting his left-hand forward, casting a powerful storm of dark blue lightning bolts from his fingertips. Shara held up her Keyblade infront of her face and blocks the attack, sending dark lightning bolts in all directions. The two Keyblade Wielders stood their ground as the dark lightning bolts was shot in all directions. Shara soon broke the clash swinging her Keyblade over to the right, knocking the dark lightning bolts away from her. She then leapt forward at Lord Thanatos with her Keyblade raised over her right-shoulder. Lord Thanatos leapt forward at Shara with his Dark Keyblade raised over his shoulder the same as her. Within moments, the two Keyblade Wielders clash with powerful force.

Lord Thanatos and Shara were now caught in a blade-lock with neither of them backing down. Lord Thanatos began to get the upper hand at first, but then Shara slowly managed to push up against Lord Thanatos back. She soon shoves him back and strikes the dark being multiple times with her Keyblade. With Lord Thanatos caught off guard, Shara strikes him with six strong attacks from her Keyblade. The finishing strike sent Lord Thanatos flying flipping backwards in the air. Lord Thanatos lands on one knee and rises to his feet.

Lord Thanatos grips his left-hand into a fist, making a dark blue light glow briefly on his arm. Then, he thrusts his hand out toward Shara, firing a volley of dark blue fireballs through his palm. Shara aimed her Keyblade at the Dark Keyblade Master and fired a volley of blue-colored blasts of light from the tip of her Keyblade. Both blasts of light and darkness clash with each other, not one hitting it's target.

Lord Thanatos charges toward Shara and swings his Keyblade left and right incredibly fast at lightning speed. Shara quickly leans her body away as each blow was thrown at her. After missing her multiple times, Lord Thanatos draws his left-arm back, then thrusts his open left-hand forward, sending Shara back with a telekinetic blast. Lord Thanatos takes his Dark Keyblade in both hands, turns it over so that the blade was pointing downwards, raises it over his head, and then drives his Dark Keyblade down into the ground, sending black cracks of darkness toward Shara who saw the incoming attack and jumped out of the way.

Shara points her Keyblade toward Lord Thanatos and shoots a salvo of rainbow-colored blasts toward him. All of the blasts hit their target. Continuing her attack, Shara hits Lord Thanatos with a four-hit combo fires an orb of light and finishes with a magical spinning attack. Next, she attacks with a four-hit teleporting combo, a downward slash, and an attack in which Shara warps around Lord Thanatos hitting him with spikes of energy from every angle. Then, she attacks with three wide-sweeping slashes followed by seven additional slashes and finishes with five slashes and two jumping slashes.

With Lord Thanatos left weakened, Shara began to glow with bright blue aura. Her Keyblade also began to glow with an aura of pure light. Shara motions her Keyblade back and began spinning gracefully with light, firing several volleys of pure light toward Lord Thanatos. Each of the light blasts hit Lord Thanatos in numerous places, blasting him multiple times. Next, Shara thrusts her Keyblade at Lord Thanatos six times in a series of charging strikes. Then, she charges at the Dark Keyblade Master with her body cloaked with light and delivers a devastating blow to his chest, finishing the epic fight.

Lord Thanatos was sent sliding back toward Vanitas. He used his left-hand to catch himself and eventually skidded to a stop. Lord Thanatos falls down on one knee and was just about to collapse when he looked up at Shara who was panting for air. The Dark Keyblade Master gave her an evil smile as he knew all too well that this fight would not end here. No, this conflict was far from over. Shara's end will come and he will be there when she dies.

After giving Shara his sinister gaze, Lord Thanatos fell flat on the ground. Then, both he and Vanitas faded away into the darkness.

Shara began to sway back and forth as she was tired from exhaustion. The battle between her and Lord Thanatos had all but worn her out and she was struggling to stay on her feet.

"We've done it... they're... finally... finished." Shara says

Shara weakly rises to her feet and slowly walks a few meters toward the Wooden Keyblade before falling back down to the ground.

"Ven... Terra... Ducar... you can rest easy..." Shara says

Shara looks out toward the ocean, watching the sunlight reflect on the water's surface. She smiled at the sight and then laid flat on the ground, closing her eyes as she lost consciousness. As the two women blacked out, they both remembered sitting underneath the starry night sky with Ventus, Terra, and Ducar back in the Land of Departure.

( _Flashback_ )

 _"You're too young to know now." Terra says_

 _"Quit treating me some kid." Ven says_

As Ven and Terra argued amongst themselves, Aqua, Shara, and Ducar laugh.

 _"Hey, what are you all laughing at?" Terra asks_

 _"I can't help it. You two would make the weirdest brothers." Aqua laughs_

 _"I hear that." Ducar laughs_

In that moment, Ventus, Terra, Aqua, Shara, and Ducar all laugh underneath the stars.

( _Present time_ )

Shara and Aqua slowly began to regain consciousness. As they did, they heard a voice calling out to them.

"Aqua! Shara!"

Shara and Aqua soon see Peter Pan as they began to rise to their feet.

"We're fine." Shara says

Shara, Aqua, and Peter Pan turn their attention toward the now broken Wooden Keyblade. Peter Pan was shocked to see the Wooden Keyblade broken on the ground.

"Oh no! Look at Ven's treasure!" Peter Pan exclaims

"It's ok, Peter. Whatever it is that binds us together isn't going to break so easily." Aqua says

"And that's our real treasure." Shara says

"I think Ventus knew that. That's why he left this behind." Aqua says

"You must really be close. And that's something pretty special. You, Ventus, Terra... and Ducar, was it? One day, you should all come back." Peter Pan says

"I'd like that." Aqua says

"Same here." Shara says

Shara looks off toward the ocean as the sunlight reflected off the water's surface.

 _"I'm sure my son would like that too. Once he becomes a Keyblade Master. I have faith in my son. And I'm sure Ducar has faith in him as well."_ Shara thought to herself

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Off to Neverland! Ventus arrives here after the ordeal in Deep Space and meets the Lost Boys and Peter Pan. Meanwhile, Terra and Ducar arrive and meet Captain Hook who tricks them into guarding his pirate loot. Then, Aqua and Shara arrive and go on an expedition with Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. But later on, they are attacked by Vanitas and Lord Thanatos! Anyone care to guess which world is next? Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	31. A Fated Meeting

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Lanes Between_ )

Terra and Ducar were traveling in the Lanes Between until they come across a bright, warm light that slowly blinded them.

"This light... it's so warm." Ducar says

( _Destiny Islands_ )

Ducar and Terra arrive at Destiny Islands and found themselves standing on the beach. They look down and saw a Paopu fruit wash up on the beach at their feet. Ducar kneeled down and picked up the fruit with his right-hand. Then, both he and Terra took out their Wayfinders. They saw that their shape was exactly the same.

 _"Somewhere out there, there's this tree with star-shaped fruit..."_

The two men looked around, searching for a tree that had the shape of the fruit in Ducar's hand. Eventually, they saw the tree up on the hill on their left and began making their way up to it.

"Aqua... Ven... Shara... I wonder if we'll ever be a team again." Terra says

"Looks like all the things that brought us together, just push us further away. But I'm sure we'll sort things out." Ducar says

"I hope so." Terra says

"Now the light has led us here." Ducar says

"What are we supposed to do?" Terra asks

As Terra and Ducar made it up to the wooden bridge, young 4 year-old Sora and young 5 year-old Riku race past them heading toward the Paopu tree.

"Hey, slow down! Would you just wait for me?" Sora says

"Giving up already? C'mon, Sora." Riku says

"That's enough! I can't run anymore!" Sora says

The two boys sat on the bent Paopu tree and looked out towards the sunset. Ducar and Terra were about to leave when they both sensed the light within Riku.

"Ducar, did you feel that?" Terra asks

"Yeah. I did." Ducar says

Ducar and Terra turned their attention toward Riku.

"Light... It's coming from that boy." Ducar says

"Were we guided here in order to meet him?" Terra asks

"Perhaps." Ducar says

Terra and Ducar walked down to the beach and looked out toward the ocean. Sora stood up on the fallen tree and looked to his right, waving his right-hand.

"Oh! Ahoy! We're over here! Riku, race ya. First one to the boat gets to be captain!" Sora says

Sora jumps off the Paopu tree and ran across the wooden bridge racing toward the docks.

"C'mon! You call that running?" Sora says

Sora ran up ahead while Riku casually walked following him. Sora reaches the beach and stops for a while, noticing Ducar and Terra, but continues toward the docks. Riku reaches the beach and stops to look at the two men. Terra and Ducar turn toward Riku who watched them.

"Hey. Did you come from the outside world?" Riku asks

"Huh? Why would you say that?" Terra asks

"Because nobody lives out here, and I know you're not from the main island." Riku says

"Smart kid." Ducar says

"So how about you? What are you doing here?" Terra asks

"Oh, my friend's dad took us out on the boat. This is where we like to play, but they won't let us row out here by ourselves, not til we get older." Riku says

"I see. I sometimes feel the same way... for my son." Ducar says

"Must be hard, huh, stuck in one place." Terra says

"I heard once there was a kid who left for good." Riku says walking toward the beach

Terra and Ducar watched Riku and they saw a vision of Master Xehanort as a young man, then they both see what Riku will become, making them gasp in surprise.

"So how'd you get here?" Riku asks

"Is there some reason you're interested in the outside world?" Ducar asks

"Yeah. I wanna be strong one day. Like that kid who left. He went to the outside world. I bet he's really strong now. I know it's out there somewhere. The strength that I need." Riku says

"Strength of what?" Terra asks

"To protect the things that matter. You know, like my friends." Riku says

Terra and Ducar look at Riku surprised. They soon turn their attention toward each other and nod understanding what they must do. Terra decides to have Riku become his successor.

"Outside this tiny world is a much bigger one." Terra says

Terra walks over to Riku and kneels down to him. He then summons his Keyblade and holds it out to Riku so that the handle was facing him.

"In your hand, take this key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, it's wielder you shall one day be. And you will find me, friend. No ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love." Terra says

Riku takes hold of the handle and admired the feel of the Keyblade.

"Riku!" Sora calls

Riku turns his attention toward Sora who waved at him.

"C'mon! Hurry it up!" Sora says

Riku was about to say something to Sora when Terra leaned closer to him.

"You gotta keep this a secret, okay? Otherwise the magic will wear off." Terra says

Riku nods and smiles, then rushes over to Sora.

"Hey, what was that all about?" Sora asks

"Aw, you know." Riku says

"Know what? Why won't you tell me? Who was that guy? Someone you know?" Sora asks

"Maybe." Riku says sarcastically

"See! There you go again! C'mon! Just tell me!" Sora says

"I really can't. I gotta keep it a secret." Riku says

"Not with me you don't! I'm like the best secret-keeper in the world!" Sora says

"Nice try." Riku says

"Aww, Riku!" Sora says

Terra and Ducar watched as Riku and Sora headed onto the docks.

"Protect the things that matter. Right. My friends matter to me, too." Terra says

"So we still have things that we have to protect." Ducar says

"Right." Terra says

Soon, Terra and Ducar take their leave.

( _The Lanes Between_ )

Aqua and Shara were traveling in the Lanes Between until they come across a bright, warm light that slowly blinded them. The same one that Terra and Ducar found.

"What's that light?" Aqua asks

"It feels so warm." Shara says

( _Destiny Islands_ )

Shara and Aqua arrive in Destiny Islands and like Terra and Ducar, they both notice the Paopu Fruit Tree with the star-shaped fruit. They both take out their Wayfinders and look down at them.

"Terra... Ven... I hope we're ready for the storm that's coming." Aqua says

"Ducar... please stay strong... for our son." Shara says

Shara and Aqua soon see Sora and Riku racing on the beach.

"Hey! Wait up!" Sora says

"Too slow, Sora! See ya at the finish line!" Riku says

Riku beats Sora in a race heading underneath the wooden bridge and stopping on the other side.

"One more time. You just got lucky." Sora says

Suddenly, Riku and Sora look up and saw Shara and Aqua. The two female Keyblade Masters look down toward the two boys and smile. They both jump down from the wooden bridge, surprising the small kids. Aqua and Shara look toward Sora and Riku and smile. The two women turns their attention toward Riku and felt a similarity between him, Terra, and Ducar.

 _"This boy looks so sincere just like Terra."_ Aqua thought to herself

 _"He has the exact calm exterior as Ducar."_ Shara thought to herself

Next, they turn to look at Sora who smiles at them.

 _"And this one he's a spitting image of Ven."_ Aqua thought to herself

 _"And he looks just as sweet and cheerful as Devon."_ Shara thought to herself

The two women laugh while Sora and Riku look at each other confused.

"One of you might be special enough. Hey, you two mind telling us your names?" Aqua says

"I'm Sora!"

"And you?" Aqua asks

"Riku."

Shara looked at Riku and she could sense that Terra had chosen him to be his successor as a Keyblade Wielder.

"Aqua, someone has already passed the power." Shara says

"You're right. I can sense it. Was it Terra or Ducar?" Aqua asks

"Maybe." Shara says

"Sora, do you like Riku?" Aqua asks

"Of course I like him, he's my best friend!" Sora says

"Good. So then, if something happens, and Riku is about to get lost, or say he starts wandering down a dark path alone, you make sure to stay with him and keep him safe. That's you're job, Sora. And I'm counting on you to do it, okay?" Aqua says

Sora and Riku look at each other confused. Aqua pets Sora and Riku's head causing the two boys to laugh. Soon, Sora and Riku head over to the docks. Shara and Aqua sat back up on the Paopu Tree watching Sora and Riku.

"One Keyblade is enough for any friendship. I learned it the hard way. I wouldn't wish our lives on those children." Aqua says

"Neither would I." Shara says

Aqua looks down at her Wayfinder.

"Terra, please tell me. What's to become of us?" Aqua says

Shara looked down at her Wayfinder and thought about her meeting of Sora.

 _"Sora... Riku... It seems that we were fated to meet them. The light from their hearts is probably what brought us here. I have a feeling these children will someday embark on a journey of their own. And I'm sure our paths will cross again."_ Shara thought to herself

Shara felt that Sora and Riku would be special, but none would be as special as her child. The prodigal son who would one day be destined to become a Legendary Keyblade Master.

 _"And who knows? Maybe they'll meet our son someday. That would definitely be something to look forward to."_ Shara thought to herself

Shara smiled at the thought of Devon meeting Sora and Riku. She also smiled at the thought of her son meeting Kairi. She didn't know what it was, but she felt that they would meet someday. And that they will become great friends. Shara looked out toward the ocean and watched as the sun set over the horizon.

( _Elsewhere_ )

Lord Thanatos stood in the darkness of the shadows, kneeling before his supreme master.

 ** _"LoRd ThAnAtOs... My ApPrEnTiCe... ThE gEaRs Of FaTe ArE sLoWlY tUrNiNg. AlL tHe PiEcEs ArE cOmInG tOgEtHeR._** ** _ThE fOrGiNg Of ThE X-BlAdE iS aT hAnD._** ** _YoU kNoW wHaT mUsT bE dOnE."_** The Dark Lord says

 **"I WILL GO TO THE KEYBLADE GRAVEYARD AND RETRIEVE THE X-BLADE FOR YOU, MI LORD. I WILL NOT FAIL."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos rose up to his feet and was about to leave when the Dark Lord spoke in his deep, demonic voice.

 ** _"ThErE Is MoRe I sEnSe. A ChIlD HaS bEeN cHoSeN tO wIeLd ThE aNcIeNt LiGhT oF KiNgDoM HeArTs. ThAt ChIlD iS tHe SoN oF tHe TwO KeYbLaDe WiElDeRs: ShArA aNd DuCaR._** ** _I fOrSeE tHiS bOy WiLl BeCoMe A dAnGeRoUs ThReAt To OuR eTeRnAl EmPiRe. ThE InHeRiToR sEeS tHiS bOy'S pOtEnTiAl FoR gReAtNeSs. He WiLl GrOw To BeCoMe StRoNgEr ThAn HiS pArEnTs AnD tHeIr FrIeNdS. ThIs YoUnG cHiLd MuSt NoT bEcOmE a KeYbLaDe WiElDeR. He MuSt Be DeStRoYeD bEfOrE hE iS iMbUeD wItH thE pOwEr Of LiGhT. CaPtUrE tHiS bOy, KiLl HiM, AnD bRiNg Me HiS hEaRt._** ** _"_** The Dark Lord says

Lord Thanatos bows his head, acknowledging his master.

 **"IT WILL BE DONE."** Lord Thanatos says

With that said, Lord Thanatos disappears into the darkness to carry out his master's dark will.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** This is it! This is the Chapter everyone has been waiting for! Terra, Ducar, Aqua and Shara finally meet Sora and Riku! Uh oh! The Dark Lord and Lord Thanatos are planning to kidnap Devon! Slowly, the gears are turning toward the end of Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep! The epicness is just around the corner! Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	32. Destiny Unfolds

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Celestial Temple_ )

Outside the Celestial Temple, Donald and Goofy sat at the steps of the main entrance, worried about King Mickey.

"Garwsh, the King must be pretty far away by now..." Goofy says

Suddenly, a bright blinding light slammed down infront of Donald and Goofy causing them to jump in surprise.

"King Mickey!" Donald exclaims

The light slowly began to dim down, revealing Ventus.

"Nope, doesn't look like him." Goofy says

Goofy let out a sigh, but he looked back at Ventus and noticed that he had the Star Shard in his right-hand.

"Look! That feller's got the Star Shard the King borrowed!" Goofy says

"King?" Ventus asks feeling confused

Ventus looked at Mickey's Star Shard and realized that Donald and Goofy were talking about Mickey.

"Oh, you must be talking about Mickey." Ventus says

Ventus rose up to his feet and began explaining what happened.

"I saw him-" Ventus says

Before he could continue, Donald and Goofy head over to Ventus and pushes him into the Celestial Temple.

"Huh? Hey, take it easy!" Ventus says

Donald and Goofy brought Ventus through the entrance hall, passing the many crystallized pillars that lined the hall. Ventus looked around the hall and was amazed by the layout. He then looks up at the dozens of colorful nebulas that floated in the ceiling above him.

"Wow!" Ventus gasps in amazement

The trio then came to the end of the hall at the cupola where the large white crystal orb of light floated in-between the two staircases. Finally, the trio made their way up the staircase, walked down the hallway, and entered through the door into the Celestial Archive where The Inheritor, Vervada, and Master Yen Sid awaited them.

"Inheritor, Yen Sid, sirs. We just got a clue as to where the King might be!" Goofy says

The Inheritor sat on his floating chair behind his desk with his eyes closed. Vervada sat on her haunches beside her master on his right while Master Yen Sid stood on the left.

 _ **"Ah, Ventus. Eraqus has told us much about you."**_ The Inheritor says

"If we were not mistaken, you were ordered to return home." Vervada says

"Well, sir, I-" Ventus says

"No matter. Mickey has difficulty following directions as well." Master Yen Sid says with a smile

 _ **"Indeed he does. Now then, where is this clue to Mickey's current whereabouts?"**_ The Inheritor says

"I've got it." Donald says

Donald steps forward and places it onto the desk. The Star Shard floats up in mid-air and hovers over to the Inheritor, floating over his open right-hand.

 _ **"Thank you, Donald."**_ The Inheritor says

"This feller, Venquist-Ventilate-Veggie-" Goofy says before Donald snaps at him

"Just call him Ven!" Donald says

"Sure. That's what I usually go by." Ventus says

"Ven had it when he got here." Donald says

 _ **"Please, elucidate for us."** _ The Inheritor says

"I ran into Mickey. But we got sent flying into the light. I don't know where he went. He wasn't in the same world as the one where I found that." Ventus explains

 _ **"Just as I predicted... Mickey has been hurling himself from one world to the next."** _ The Inheritor says

"That explains why we could not discern his location." Master Yen Sid says

"Inheritor, can you be able to locate Mickey now?" Vervada asks

 _ **"Yes. I should be able to reveal his location."**_ The Inheritor says

The Inheritor puts away the Star Shard, making it disappear in a flash of light. He then rises up from his chair and walks over to the Giant Blue Crystal Orb. He holds out his right-hand and emits a bright light from his palm. Soon, a faint image began to form in the crystal orb. The image began to become more clear. Soon, everyone could see the image in the orb. In the image was Mickey laying unconscious in the Badlands.

"Mickey!" Ventus gasps in shock

"The King!" Donald and Goofy exclaim in shock

The image soon fades away.

"What happened? Where did he go? Is he okay?" Donald asks

 _ **"There is a powerful darkness interfering with my powers. I apologize, but that was all I could reveal."** _ The Inheritor says

"Just tell us where the King is, Inheritor, sir and me and Donald will go right there and save him!" Goofy says

"You two? I believe that might not be adequate." Master Yen Sid says

"But I'm the Captain of the King's Royal Knights!" Goofy says summoning his shield

"And I'm his Magician!" Donald says summoning his staff

"I'll find him. I recognize the place we saw." Ventus says

"If you go, we'll go with you!" Donald says

"No, I owe him. Mickey saved me once. And I can't risk putting his friends in danger. Don't worry. I swear I'll bring him back safe." Ventus says

 _ **"Very well, Ventus. The task at hand will be left up to you. May the light protect you."** _ The Inheritor says

Vervada walks over to Ventus.

"Be safe, little one." Vervada says nuzzling her head against Ventus

Ventus chuckles and pets Vervada, rubbing his head. With his mind now set on finding Mickey, Ventus heads out of the Celestial Temple, beginning his journey toward The Keyblade Graveyard.

( _The Keyblade Graveyard_ )

Ventus arrives in the badlands where up ahead was Mickey lying unconscious.

"Mickey!" Ventus cries out

Ventus rushes over to Mickey and kneels down to him. He rolls Mickey over on his back and holds him in his arms, hoping he was alright. He then heard a familiar voice talking to him.

"We meet again boy." A male voice says

Ventus turns and looks over to his left and saw Master Xehanort walking toward him.

"Master Xehanort." Ventus gasps

Suddenly, Lord Thanatos wearing his dark cloak walks out from behind Master Xehanort. The dark being unfolds his hood, revealing his black skull-shaped head to the boy and gazed upon him with his demonic, glowing red eyes.

"You." Ventus gasps

In that moment, Ventus started having flashbacks of him, Master Xehanort, and Lord Thanatos. Ventus falls to his knees, holding his head. The two evil Keyblade Masters both smile upon seeing this.

"Ah yes, so you are starting to realize... What you lost, but not for good. You had to lose in order to find. Now it can all be yours again, if you only reach out and take it. Reclaim the part that left you. Clash with him! Pure light against pure darkness to forge the ultimate key. The all powerful X-blade!" Master Xehanort says

Ventus cries out in agonizing pain and falls flat onto the ground.

"Key... blade?" Ventus says weakly

 **"YES... DEAR CHILD. BUT NOT THE KEYBLADES THAT YOU, MASTER XEHANORT AND I CARRY."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos holds out his right-hand and an 'X' forms floating in his hand.

 **" _'X'_... A MOST ANCIENT LETTER. SOME SAY 'KYE', BUT THE MEANING IS ALL BUT THE SAME."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos grips his right-hand causing the 'X' to disapper in his grip.

 **"DEATH. A LETTER THAT SPELLS ALL ENDINGS."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos raises his arms and spreads them out, opening a dark portal over Ventus and Mickey.

"And I have the power to make it?" Ventus asks weakly

"Yes. Eraqus knows it, too. He knows exactly what you are." Master Xehanort says

"The master?" Ventus asks weakly

"Haven't you ever wondered? Why he never granted you permission to leave his side, to grow stronger? Eraqus was frightened of you. If you were to learn the truth, realize what you are... He never trusted you. Why else would he keep you within his sight at all times?" Master Xehanort says

A dark blue lightning bolt struck down from the dark portal, missing Ventus' head by mere inches. Ventus slowly got up and rose to his feet.

"Yeah. He never let me see other worlds, no matter how much I asked." Ventus says

The two Keyblade Masters both had a sinister grin on their faces.

 **"GO."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos thrusts his right-hand forward, sending powerful gusts of wind at Ventus who shields himself with his arms.

 **"YOU CAN ASK THE MAN YOURSELF. LEARN THE TRUTH OF YOUR PAST, AND REMEMBER THAT YOU HAVE A GREATER PURPOSE AND A GREAT DESTINY BEFORE YOU!"** Lord Thanatos says

Ventus was soon swept off his feet by the wind. Mickey was also lifted off the ground by the wind. Both Ventus and Mickey were sucked into the dark portal and they disappeared into the darkness.

( _The Lanes Between_ )

Ventus woke up and found himself drifting in The Lanes Between. He clutched his head and writhed in pain.

 _"What am I? What has the master been keeping from me all this time?"_ Ventus asks in his thoughts

Ventus looked ahead of him and saw his home, the Land of Departure. Now determined more than ever to know the truth, Ventus immediately heads for the Land of Departure.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Elsewhere in the Lanes Between, Terra and Ducar were riding on their Keyblade Gliders when they saw a speck of light soaring across the cosmos.

"That light... Is that Ven?" Terra asks

"I don't know." Ducar says

As they pondered to themselves, the two men heard Master Xehanort's voice calling out to them.

 _"Master Terra. Master Ducar. Find me. We must speak at once."_ Master Xehanort says

"Master Xehanort!" Terra and Ducar exclaim

Terra and Ducar turn around and headed for the Keyblade Graveyard.

( _The Keyblade Graveyard_ )

Terra and Ducar flew over the badlands and saw Master Xehanort standing at the edge of the cliff, awaiting them. The two men hovered down to the old Keyblade Master and acknowledged him.

"Master Xehanort, you wished to see us?" Ducar asks

"There is no time to lose! I have terrible news. Ventus has stumbled upon the secrets of his origins." Master Xehanort says

"Ven?" Terra and Ducar say confused

"We just saw him, he passed right infront of us. What happened?" Terra says

"Ventus is on his way home. If you could have seen the fury in his eyes...I'm certain he's capable of anything. I fear the boy may attempt to force the truth out of Master Eraqus. Master Terra, Master Ducar, you must hurry back and see to your friend's safety." Master Xehanort says

"Of course." Terra says

"Right away." Ducar says

Having said that, Terra and Ducar both left the badlands and rushes back to the Land of Departure to save Ventus.

( _The Land of Departure_ )

Devon was in his room sitting on his bed, leaning against the window, resting his head on his arms. It had been a long while since his parents left on their journey and he was already missing them. He let out a sigh and looked down. Suddenly, he looked up and saw Ventus fly out from a portal of light and soar across the sky. The moment he saw Ventus, his expression changed into that of happiness.

"Ven's back!" Devon exclaims happily

Ventus landed outside the castle and switched out of his Keyblade Armor. He then looked around, searching for Master Eraqus. He didn't have to look far as the Keyblade Master stepped out of the castle and walked down the staircase toward him.

"Ventus, you're alone? I thought Aqua and Shara would..." Master Eraqus says

Once he reaches him, Master Eraqus lowers himself down to Ventus and places his hands on his shoulders.

"Well, what matters is that you're home. You don't belong outside this world yet. You need to stay here where you can learn-" Master Eraqus says

"You mean your prison?" Ventus snaps

"What?" Master Eraqus says shocked

Master Eraqus moved his hands back, away from Ventus as he looked back up at him and spoke.

"That's your excuse... for keeping me imprisoned here, isn't it?" Ventus says

"What did you hear?" Master Eraqus asks

"That I'm supposed to be some weapon. Some kind of... 'X-blade'!" Ventus says

Master Eraqus put his left-hand to the scar on his left-cheek, remembering about his argument with Master Xehanort.

"I knew it. Xehanort, he could never let it go." Master Eraqus says

( _Flashback_ )

Master Eraqus remembers when he met with Master Xehanort in the throne room.

 _"Wait, Xehanort. There is a reason the precepts bar us from such knowledge. Why do you seek the X-blade? Would you blanket all the worlds in darkness, reduce them to nothing!?" Master Eraqus says_

 _"But darkness did cover the world once, in legend. We know so little about the Keyblade War, only that it was just the beginning. Amidst that crisis a precious light was found. It is a curious tale, and one worth exploring. They say ruin brings about creation. So what, then, would another Keyblade War bring? When the darkness falls, will we be worthy of the precious light the legend speaks of? I must have these answers. The X-blade needs to be forged, and with it, the door to the Keyblade War unlocked!" Master Xehanort says_

 _"Fool... You would risk an apocalypse out of sheer curiosity? I will never allow it, Xehanort. Not while I live!" Master Eraqus says_

 _"But once again, you have it all wrong, Eraqus." Master Xehanort says_

The old Keyblade Master turns around and faces Master Eraqus.

 _"Darkness is a beginning you see, not an end. At birth, every one of us emerges from darkness into a world of light, do we not?" Master Xehanort says_

 _"Poetic excuses!" Master Eraqus says_

Master Xehanort turns his back on Master Eraqus and walked away. Master Eraqus stood where he was and clenched his fist.

 _"If words won't dissuade you, only one thing will." Master Eraqus says_

In that moment, Master Eraqus summons his Keyblade and charges toward Master Xehanort. Master Xehanort turned around to face the foolish man with a sinister smile on his face. He then summons his Dark Keyblade into his right-hand and launches two dark blasts at Master Eraqus, hitting him over his right-eye and on his left-cheek. After being hit by the dark attack, Master Eraqus collapsed and fell down on his knees. He looked up and saw Master Xehanort standing before him.

 _"That power... Has the darkness taken you, Xehanort?" Master Eraqus asks_

 _"Not your concern." Master Xehanort says turning around_

Having said that, Master Xehanort walked away while Master Eraqus watched him, groaning in pain from the scars that were now on his face.

( _Present time_ )

"I failed. I had the chance to stop him and couldn't do it. But I will not fail again." Master Eraqus says

In that moment, Master Eraqus summons his Keyblade, ready to do what must be done. Upon seeing this, Ventus began to back away.

Inside the castle, Devon saw what was happening from his room and was very shocked as to what Master Eraqus was preparing to do.

"What is Master Eraqus doing?! I gotta do something!" Devon says

Devon quickly climbed off his bed and was just about to leave the room when he bumped into something. He stumbled back and looked up. The young boy was shocked by what he saw. Standing infront of him was the Dark Keyblade Master himself, Lord Thanatos.

 **"HELLO, LITTLE BOY... GOING SOMEWHERE?"** Lord Thanatos says

Devon backed away from Lord Thanatos, whimpering in fear of the dark being. Lord Thanatos gazed down on the poor boy with his glowing red eyes, chuckling in his demonic voice.

 **"HM HM HM HM HM... HE HE HE HE HE..."** Lord Thanatos chuckles

Back outside, Ventus continued to back away from Master Eraqus.

"Master! What are you..." Ventus gasps in shock

"The X-blade has no place in this or any world. Xehanort has made his purpose clear... and I am left with no choice. Forgive me..." Master Eraqus says

Terra and Ducar arrive just in time to see Master Eraqus preparing himself to end Ventus.

"...But you must exist no more!" Master Eraqus says

Master Eraqus takes his Keyblade and thrusts it forward, sending chains of light toward Ventus. In that moment, Terra and Ducar jump off the Keyblade Gliders, heading toward Ventus.

"Ven!" Terra and Ducar cry out

Terra and Ducar land infront of Ventus, protecting him from Master Eraqus' attack. The two men stood infront of their master as their Keyblade Armor disappeared.

"What?" Master Eraqus says baffled

"Master, have you gone mad?!" Terra yells

"What do you think you are doing?!" Ducar yells

"Terra, Ducar, I command you, step aside!" Master Eraqus says

"No!" Terra and Ducar yell in unison

"You will not heed your master?" Master Eraqus asks

"I won't!" Terra yells

"Nor will I! I won't let you harm Ventus!" Ducar yells

"Why do all my attempts to reach you fail? If you don't have it in your heart to obey... then you will both have to share Ventus' fate." Master Eraqus says

A single tear slides down Master Eraqus' face before he attacks again with his Keyblade. Terra and Ducar block Master Eraqus' attacks, defending Ventus from their master.

"Enough! Terra... Ducar... he's right!" Ventus says

"Quiet!" Terra yells

"Stay down, Ventus!" Ducar yells

Master Eraqus jumps back and swings his Keyblade, creating a blinding light that knocks Ventus, Terra, and Ducar back. The two men rose up to their feet with Terra holding Ventus in his left-arm. They both looked ahead of them and saw Master Eraqus in his battle stance with his whole body glowing with light. Terra took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Ducar closed his eyes as well and took a deep breath. The two men soon opened their eyes and an aura of darkness began to envelope their bodies.

"You may be our master. But we will not... let you hurt our friend!" Terra says

"Has the darkness taken you, Terra!? And you too, Ducar!?" Master Eraqus asks in an angry voice

Terra pointed his Keyblade back behind him and opened up a portal of light. He then tosses Ventus inside the portal. Ventus slowly rose to his feet to see Terra and Ducar face off against Master Eraqus.

"Terra! Ducar!" Ventus cries out

The portal of light closes, transporting Ventus away from the Land of Departure. Terra and Ducar stood fast as they prepared themselves for a battle against their master to quell his anger.

Terra made the first move as he charges at Master Eraqus with his body cloaked in darkness and thrusts his Keyblade at him. The attack lands a direct hit at Master Eraqus, striking him at his chest, knocking him back. Terra continues his attack on his master by unleashing a fast and furious flurry of slashes on him. Master Eraqus was struck by each of Terra's blows and was thrown back by the last hit.

Master Eraqus readies his Keyblade, then charges at Terra at high speed with a thrust attack. Terra instinctively jumped out of the way, dodging the attack. Just as Terra rose up to his feet, Master Eraqus attacks him with some swift, fast-paced slashes. Terra held up his Keyblade and defended himself against the blows. However, one blow knocked his Keyblade away, leaving him open. Then, Master Eraqus strikes his chest with an upward strike. Terra was sent sliding back across the ground.

"Prepare yourself!" Master Eraqus shouts

Master Eraqus held his Keyblade out infront of him and closed his eyes. His body began to glow with light as an orb of light appeared at the tip of his Keyblade, charging up for an attack. As soon as he was ready, Master Eraqus opened his eyes and swung his Keyblade left and right, firing six orbs of light straight at Terra. Before the orbs could hit him, Ducar jumps in and deflected the orbs, swinging them away with his Keyblade.

Ducar grips his left-hand into a fist, draws it back, then thrusts it forward, launching a torrent of dark energy toward his master. Each blast lands a hit to Master Eraqus, hitting him in numerous places. Continuing his assault, Ducar rushes at Master Eraqus and strikes him with multiple thrusting strikes from all directions. Afterwards, he jumps into the air with a backflip, raises his Keyblade over his head, then plunges it down into the ground with a somersault, unleashing columns of dark energy around him which sent Master Eraqus back sliding across the ground. Then, Ducar whirls forward and strikes Master Eraqus with six quick spinning slashes with his Keyblade enveloped in darkness. Finally, Ducar charges at his master with his body cloaked in darkness and delivers a devastating strike to his chest which sent Master Eraqus flying through the air.

Master Eraqus rose onto his feet and faced his former apprentice.

"Let the darkness die!" Master Eraqus shouts

Master Eraqus held his Keyblade out infront of him and closed his eyes. His body began to glow with light as eight blades of light appeared around him. With a shout, he sent the blades of light straight towards Ducar in a parabolic trajectory. Ducar dodged each of the blades by jumping left and right, performing multiple somersaults. Master Eraqus leaps up into the air and hurtles down toward Ducar with his Keyblade raised over his right-shoulder. Ducar quickly leapt back with a backflip just as Master Eraqus slams his Keyblade down.

Terra rose onto his feet and stood alongside Ducar, getting back into the fight. The two men stood together as they continued their fight against their enraged master.

( _Destiny Islands_ )

Ventus was thrown out of the portal of light and lands flat on his back on the beaches of Destiny Islands.

"Terra! Ducar!" Ventus cries out

Ventus quickly got up and ran toward the portal. But before he could reach it, the portal of light disappears. Ventus knew he had to go back and stop the fight between, Terra, Ducar, and Master Eraqus before it was too late. Just as he was about to switch into his Keyblade Armor, he heard a voice speak to him.

"Going somewhere?" The voice asks

Ventus turns around and saw Vanitas standing on the wooden bridge above him.

"I'm through with you." Ventus says

Ventus turned around and began walking away while Vanitas summoned his Dark Keyblade and continued talking.

"Well, I'm just getting started with you. You're strong enough now to fulfill your purpose. So what are you waiting for? Join with me right here and now. Become the X-blade." Vanitas says

Ventus stopped where he was and spoke back at Vanitas.

"No. I won't do it. He told me the only way the X-blade can be forged is if you and me fight. Well guess what? I'm not fighting." Ventus says

"You used to be too broken to talk back." Vanitas says

In that momet, Ventus has a flashback when he was training with Master Xehanort

( _Flashback_ )

Ventus remembered when he was forced by Master Xehanort to use the power of darkness in his heart. He remembered when he found himself several Neoshadow Heartless surrounded him while Master Xehanort watched from atop a small cliff above him.

 _"Please don't do this, Master! I'm not strong enough!" Ventus begs frightened_

 _"No. It is because you are trying to hold it in. Let the dark impulses waken in the pit of your heart. Release them here and now! Sharpen your fear into rage. You must! If you do not let the storm within you run it's course, it will wipe you from the face of the world, make no mistake! Do it! Embrace the darkness. Produce for your master, the X-blade!" Master Xehanort says_

All of the Neoshadows attacked at once, jumping toward Ventus while he screamed out in fear. After being beat up by the Heartless, Ventus laid unconsciousness on the ground while Master Xehanort looked down at him with a disappointed look on his face.

 _"Really? You would rather die than use the power? Feckless neophyte." Master Xehanort says_

Master Xehanort rolls Ventus over on his back with his right-foot. While the old Keyblade Master looked down at his pitiful apprentice, Lord Thanatos appears from a dark corridor and stands next to Master Xehanort.

 _ **"IT WOULD APPEAR THAT VENTUS HAS CHOSEN TO ACCEPT DEATH RATHER THAN ACCEPT THE POWER OF DARKNESS. SUCH A FOOLISH CHOICE FOR A DISOBEDIENT CHILD LIKE HIM."** Lord Thanatos says_

 _"If we must... We will extract the darkness from within Ventus ourselves." Master Xehanort says as he summoned his Dark Keyblade_

 _ **"DO IT."** Lord Thanatos commands_

Master Xehanort summons his Dark Keyblade into his right-hand and turns it over so that the blade was pointing down over Ventus. A beam of darkness soon strikes down on Ventus' chest, making him let out a groan and his eyes snap wide open. An orb of darkness exits Ventus' body and levitated high up into the air. Streams of darkness swirled around the dark orb as the darkness took shape, changing into a humanoid figure. From the darkness within Ventus' heart, the dark being, Vanitas was born. Vanitas touched down on the ground and stood before the two villains.

 _ **"EMPTY CREATURE FROM VENTUS RIVEN..."** Lord Thanatos says_

Lord Thanatos summons his Dark Keyblade into his right-hand and lowers it down on both of Vanitas' shoulders.

 _ **"TO YOU, THE NAME VANITAS SHALL BE GIVEN. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"** Lord Thanatos says_

Vanitas kneels before the two evil Keyblade Masters and pledges himself to them.

 _"Yes, Master." Vanitas says_

( _Present time_ )

Ventus recovers from his vision.

"Fine. Then I'll give you a reason to fight." Vanitas says

"What?" Ventus says

"Come and find me... at the one and only place to spawn the X-blade, the Keyblade Graveyard. There you're gonna see me choke the life out of Terra, Ducar, Aqua, Shara, and Devon. Then, we'll see how long you play the pacifist." Vanitas says

Having said that, Vanitas disappears in a portal of darkness.

"Wait!" Ventus says

Ventus takes out his Wayfinder and looks down at it.

"Terra... Ducar... Aqua... Shara... Devon... I swear I'll put an end to this." Ventus says

Having said that, Ventus opens a portal of light with his Keyblade, switches into his Keyblade Armor, mounts his Keyblade Glider, and takes off into the portal.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Terra and Ducar had both managed to defeat Master Eraqus who was clutching his chest with his left-hand.

"How could you..." Master Eraqus says

The two men stood in shock, realizing what they had just done. They had just used the power of darkness against their master.

"What have we done..." Ducar gasps

"Master... we just... wanted to keep Ven safe." Terra says

"No, you were right. I failed you, Terra, Ducar. Perhaps I've no one to blame but myself for the darkness inside you both. And now I've done worse, raised my Keyblade against you both and Ventus. My own heart is darkness!" Master Eraqus says

Suddenly, Master Eraqus was stabbed in the back by an unknown figure. He fell down onto his knees as an aura of light enveloped his body. He then began to fall forward. Terra reached out to try and catch Master Eraqus in his arms, but he disappeared in a flash of light right before their eyes. The two men watched as small fragments of light hovered past them, then they flew off into the sky, disappearing from sight. Terra fell down on all fours while Ducar fell onto his knees. Immense sorrow began to overwhelm the two men.

"Master Eraqus..." Terra sobs

"No..." Ducar sobs

Streams of tears began running down the faces of the two men as they wept over the loss of their fatherly figure and dearest friend. Then, Terra and Ducar heard footsteps approaching them.

"What a sight." A familiar voice says

The voice belonged to none other than Master Xehanort who stood infront of Terra and Ducar, looking down at them.

"Why do you trouble yourself with remorse, Master Terra, Master Ducar? The man was bent on doing harm to your friend, his own pupil!" Master Xehanort says

The two Keyblade Wielders looked up at the evil master and were shocked to see that he had murdered Master Eraqus.

"Master Xehanort! Why!?" Terra says

"You know, at times like this, I find your progress quite striking. But you still fall short. Let all that anger out, my boys! Give your hearts over to darkness!" Master Xehanort says

"What do you mean?" Ducar asks

 **"STILL SO BLIND."** A dark voice says

Suddenly, Lord Thanatos appears next to Master Xehanort with Devon held in his left-hand. The dark being held the poor child by the back of his shirt, holding him high off the ground.

 **"THEN WE SHALL MAKE YOU SEE!"** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos raised his left-arm, showing the poor boy to the two men. Ducar was utterly horrified to see his son in the hands of his arch enemy.

"Devon!" Terra cries out

"Son!" Ducar cries out

"Dad!" Devon cries out

 **"COME TO THE PLACE WHERE ALL KEYBLADE WIELDERS LEAVE THEIR MARK ON FATE, THE KEYBADE GRAVEYARD! THERE, YOU WILL WATCH YOUR DEAR VENTUS, AQUA, SHARA, AND YOUR PRECIOUS SON, DEVON MEET THEIR END, AND THE LAST LIGHT WITHIN YOU SHALL DIE!"** Lord Thanatos says says

Lord Thanatos raises his Dark Keyblade into the air and a black beam of darkness shoots upward into the sky. Dark clouds began forming overhead, blotting out the sun and casting the Land of Departure into darkness. A massive black orb of darkness was now looming over the once peaceful world, sucking everything into it with powerful gale winds.

"You won't need a home anymore where you're going!" Master Xehanort says

"What!?" Terra and Ducar say in unison

The two men looked around at all the carnage that was happening all around them. They soon turn their attention back toward Lord Thanatos and Master Xehanort who began to take their leave into a dark corridor.

"Xehanort!" Terra shouts

Master Xehanort was the first to disappear into the dark corridor while Lord Thanatos turned to look at the pitiful men.

 **"SAY GOOD-BYE TO YOUR SON, DUCAR. IT SHALL BE THE LAST YOU WILL SEE OF HIM."** Lord Thanatos says

Devon was still flailing his arms and legs around, trying to break free from the evil being's grip. Suddenly, a dark aura enveloped the small boy's body for a few seconds, sending him unconscious. Lord Thanatos turned his head to look at Devon for a brief moment, gazed at the two men, specifically toward the boy's father, with an evil smile on his face, then turned to walk into the dark corridor. And sure enough, they were gone.

"No! Devon!" Ducar screams at the top of his lungs

All around them, the buildings began to get sucked up into the black vortex. The ground began to crack and started to get sucked up into the darkness. Terra and Ducar take out their Wayfinders in their hands and look down at them.

"Ven, Aqua, Shara, Devon, we won't let them hurt you." Terra says

"No we will not! I will get my son back and Lord Thanatos shall pay for endangering my family! He will not take my son from me!" Ducar says

With that said, Terra and Ducar switch into their Keyblade Armor and mount their Keyblade Gliders, leaving their once glorious home as it disappeared into darkness.

( _The Lanes Between_ )

Aqua and Shara were traveling in the Lanes Between when they see Mickey floating adrift in the cosmos.

"Is that Mickey?" Aqua asks

"Something has happened to him." Shara says

Aqua and Shara fly over to Mickey and place him on Aqua's Keyblade Glider.

"How'd this happen?" Aqua asks

"Master... Yen Sid... Inheritor..." Mickey says weakly

"Don't worry. We'll take you back to them." Shara says

Having said that, Aqua and Shara began traveling toward the Celestial Palace

( _The Celestial Temple_ )

Aqua and Shara arrive at the Celestial Temple and quickly bring Mickey inside. They set Mickey down on the floor within the Celestial Archive.

"King Mickey." Donald says

"King Micke." Goofy says

 _ **"Aqua, Shara, the stars bring us grave news. Master Eraqus' star has blinked out. I am sad to say that means he has been struck down."**_ The Inheritor says

Shara and Aqua gasp in utter shock upon hearing this.

"The Master?" Aqua asks

"But-Who is responsible?" Shara asks

 _ **"Master Xehanort... Lord Thanatos..."**_ The Inheritor says

The Inheritor remained silent and closed his eyes for a moment before continuing on.

 _ **"And Terra and Ducar."** _ The Inheritor says

Shara and Aqua were very horrified to hear Terra and Ducar's names. The two women shook their heads in disbelief of the awful truth. Aqua was the first to snap.

"No! That's absurd!" Aqua shouts

Aqua slammed her hands on the desk, making Donald and Goofy jump startled and look back at her.

"Terra would never do something like this!" Aqua shouts

"I don't believe that! I know my husband! Ducar would never commit murder!" Shara shouts

 _ **"I hope with all my heart that you are right about your friends. There are some things that even the stars cannot tell me."** _ The Inheritor says

"Where are they? Where can we find Terra and Ducar?" Shara asks

 _ **"Their hearts are leading them to the ancient Keyblade Graveyard, where wielders of the Keyblade and myself once waged war."**_ The Inheritor says

"All right. We have to go after them and see if it's true." Aqua says

 ** _"Before you go, there is something I wish to give you,_** ** _Aqua_** _ **. Summon your Keyblade."** _ The Inheritor says

Aqua nods and stretches her right-hand forward, summoning her Keyblade into her hand. The Inheritor stretches his right-hand forward and a bright light emits from his open palm. Aqua's Keyblade began to glow with pure light as it changed form. Soon, the light dimmed down and Aqua had a new Keyblade in her hand. It's name: Stormfall.

 ** _"This Keyblade will enhance your strength and magic capabilities. May it serve you well."_** The Inheritor says

Aqua looked upon her new Keyblade in amazement. She noticed that this Keyblade was an upgraded version of her old Keyblade: Rainfall. She looked up at the Inheritor and expressed her thanks.

"Thank you. I shall accept this gift gladly." Aqua says

The Inheritor smiled. But that smile quickly changed when he looked over at Shara.

 _ **"There is more disturbing news I believe you should know. Shara, your son, Devon, has been kidnapped by Lord Thanatos."**_ The Inheritor says

"What!?" Shara and Aqua gasp in shock

 _ **"You must act swiftly. Devon must not suffer at the hands of Lord Thanatos. It is imperitive that you bring him back to the safety of my temple."** _ The Inheritor says

"What would Lord Thanatos want with Devon?" Aqua asks

 _ **"Devon has a strong pure light in his heart. A light that is powerful enough to stand up against his dark power and that of his master. You see, Shara, your son is more important than you know. Devon is destined to become the Legendary Keyblade Master, one who is destined to bring balance to Light and Darkness, unite the heroes of world in a time of crisis, bring peace and prosperity to the Universe, and defeat the greatest and most powerful evil in the Universe. One I could not defeat: The Dark Lord of the Shadows. Lord Thanatos serves his master and sees to his agenda. The only thing that stands in their way of World Conquest is your son. But there is also a powerful darkness inside Devon's heart as well. Right now, The Dark Lord and his apprentice have two choices: Eliminate your son or turn him over to darkness. If The Dark Lord and his apprentice were to gain control of the darkness in Devon's heart, he would be turned into an unstoppable force and would serve their empire for all time, spreading fear, chaos, death and destruction throughout the Universe. Either choice would mean the end of all life and all existence as we know it. We cannot allow this to happen. Which is why, Shara, you must save your son and bring him to the sanctuary of my temple."**_ The Inheritor says

"Then, we must leave at once. My son is in danger." Shara says

"Be on your guard." Master Yen Sid warns

The two women nod in acknowledgement and began heading out toward the Keyblade Graveyard.

( _The Lanes Between_ )

Shara and Aqua were now flying on their Keyblade Gliders, taking in all the information they had just heard.

Aqua found it all hard to believe. Terra was one of her best friends. There was no way he would strike down Master Eraqus. She thought stealing Princess Aurora's heart was bad. But this one officially made the top of the list.

Shara could not believe it. Her son was kidnapped by Lord Thanatos. And her husband and Terra had murdered Master Eraqus. Shara knew Ducar all her life. There was no way she would believe that Ducar was a murderer. And if that wasn't enough, their son was destined to become the Legendary Keyblade Master in order to save countless worlds from the evil darkness. It was all so much to take in and was hard to believe.

As they flew toward the Keyblade Graveyard, the two women took out their Wayfinders and looked down at them.

 _"Terra, Ven... please just be safe. We'll find a way to get you out of this."_ Aqua thought to herself

 _"Ducar, Devon... please be alright. I won't let our family be torn apart. We'll get through this somehow."_ Shara thought to herself

All five heroes began making their way toward their destiny which awaited them at the Keyblade Graveyard.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Cliffhanger! Lord Thanatos has taken Shara and Ducar's son, Devon hostage! How will the five Keyblade Wielders get him back and defeat Master Xehanort, Vanitas, and Lord Thanatos? Now we are one step closer toward destiny and pure epicness! All the pieces are coming together. Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep is coming to its close. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	33. The Fate of the Unknown

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Keyblade Graveyard_ )

Terra and Ducar arrive in the Keyblade Graveyard and look out toward the unending, rocky badlands. The two men stretched out their right-hands and summoned their Keyblades. Like Aqua, Terra had a new Keyblade. And just like Aqua, this Keyblade was an upgraded version of his old Keyblade. This Keyblade was known as Ends of the Earth.

"What I do, I do for friendship." Terra says

"Don't worry, Devon. We will find you and we'll bring you home." Ducar says

Terra and Ducar continue onward toward the Keyblade Graveyard, preparing to face their destiny.

( _Elsewhere_ )

Shara and Aqua arrive looking out toward the rocky terrain. The two women stretched out their hands and summoned their Keyblades.

"The five of us will always be one." Aqua says

"Don't worry, Devon. Your father and I will save you and we will be together again." Shara says

Shara and Aqua turn to their right and began walking toward the Keyblade Graveyard, both determined to keep their friends safe.

( _Elsewhere_ )

Ventus arrives and looks out into the unending rocky terrain. He stretches out his right-hand and summons his Keyblade.

"Friends forever." Ventus says

Having said that, Ventus ventures out into the Keyblade Graveyard, ready to face his destiny.

( _Moments later_ )

All five heroes meet at the titular Keyblade Graveyard in the crossroads which was covered in the Keyblades of the wielders who fell during the Keyblade War. Terra and Ducar were the first to arrive in the crossroads. They look around taking in the sight of the collection of Keyblades that were left on the battlefield. They soon saw Shara and Aqua approach them.

"We were told... the Master was struck down." Aqua says

Terra and Ducar gasped slightly upon hearing this. The two men looked at each other, then both looked away, knowing full well of their terrible misdeed.

"Yes... that's right. We were stupid and helped Xehanort do it." Terra says

"It's true... His death was caused by our hands." Ducar says

Shara and Aqua both gasped, surprised that the two men were actually admitting their guilt.

"The Master... he tried to hurt Ven. We only fought because we wanted to protect him. But we were tricked, Xehanort and Lord Thanatos set the whole thing up, all so they could awaken the darkness inside us." Terra says clenching his right-hand into a fist

The two men both looked up at the female Keyblade Masters.

"You were right, Aqua, and so was the master. We did need to be watched. We went astray, but no more." Terra says

"Shara, I'm sorry. I should've listened to you. If I was strong enough not to be consumed by the anger inside me, the Master would probably be still alive." Ducar says in a quiet voice

"What else is darkness but hate and rage? Xehanort and Lord Thanatos are feeding the dark fires inside you, making you both fight. You'll go astray again. Tell us, how does that honor our Master's memory?" Aqua says

The two men didn't answer. After a few moments of silence, Ducar looks up at his wife, telling her of their son's kidnapping.

"Lord Thanatos... He took our son, Shara." Ducar says

"I know. The Inheritor told me. He also told me why. Ducar, our son is much more important than we know. The Inheritor said that our son is destined to become a True Keyblade Master, one who will bring balance to light and darkness, bring peace to the worlds, and defeat the Dark Lord of the Shadows, Lord Thanatos' Master. He said that they intend to kill him and seize control of his heart. We need to get our son back." Shara says

Ducar could not believe what he was hearing. His son was destined to become a powerful Keyblade Master. Probably much more stronger than him and his mother combined together. Ducar always knew that his son would be destined for greatness, but he never would have imagined that he would be part of an ancient prophecy. He found this all so much to take in, but nevertheless, Ducar nodded in agreement.

"Yes." Ducar says

Ducar looks down at his open right-hand.

"And when we do, Lord Thanatos shall pay!" Ducar says gripping his hand into a fist

The four heroes soon saw Ventus walking toward them. The young teen stopped infront of his best friends and looked down at the ground with a sad look on his face.

"Xehanort and Lord Thanatos want me and Vanitas to fight, and make some kind of 'X-blade'. But the Master said that we can't let that happen... and he tried to destroy me for doing it." Ventus says

"X-blade?" Aqua asks confused

"I still don't know exactly what it is." Ventus says

Ventus places his right-hand on his chest.

"But... it scares me to death. Even just the thought of it." Ventus says

Terra walks up to Ventus and places his left-hand on his right-shoulder.

"Relax, Ven. We're here and we're gonna take care of you." Terra says

Ducar walks up to Ventus and kneels down to him.

"Ven, you're like a second son to me and Shara. And you're like a brother to Devon." Ducar says

"That's right." Shara says

Shara walks up to Ventus and she kneels down to him, alongside Ducar.

"We'll take care of you, Ven. And we'll do everything in our power to keep you safe." Shara says

"I may have to fight Vanitas after all. If I do, guys... I want you to-" Ventus says

"The five of us can never be torn apart, all right? We'll always find a way." Terra says

Aqua kneels down and places her right-hand on Ventus' face, over his left-cheek. Ventus shook his head and gently pushed their hands away.

"I'm asking you as a friend..." Ventus says

Ventus looks away for a second, then looks back up at his friends with a sad look on his face.

"Just... put an end to me." Ventus says

Terra, Aqua, Shara, and Ducar looked at Ventus with shocked looks on their faces and gasped upon hearing this from him. The five heroes suddenly turn and see Lord Thanatos approaching them. Then, Xehanort and Vanitas appear behind him and walk alongside him with Xehanort on his left and Vanitas on his right. The three villains soon stopped only a couple meters away from the five heroes. Lord Thanatos spoke first, gesturing his left-hand to the countless Keyblades that were planted around them.

 **"BEHOLD... THESE LIFELESS KEYBLADES USED TO BE FULL OF POWER, UNITED WITH THE HEARTS OF THEIR MASTERS. ON THIS BARREN SOIL, KEYBLADES OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS WERE LOCKED IN COMBAT... AS A GREAT KEYBLADE WAR RAGED. COUNTLESS KEYBLADE WIELDERS GAVE UP THEIR LIVES, ALL IN SEARCH OF ONE, ULTIMATE KEY. AND IT SHALL SOON BELONG TO OUR SUPREME RULER... THE DARK LORD OF THE SHADOWS."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos points toward Ventus with his right-hand.

 **"THE X-BLADE."** Lord Thanatos says

Shara, Ducar, Terra, Ventus, and Aqua gasp slightly.

 **"BUT THERE IS ONE MORE THING THAT MUST BE DEALT WITH."** Lord Thanatos says

In that moment, Lord Thanatos' heartstone shines red. In a black cloud of darkness, Devon appears hovering over the three villains unconscious with his hands and feet bound in dark lights, imprisoned inside an orb of darkness. Seeing this immediately made the five heroes gasp in shock.

"Devon!" The five heroes cry out

 **"FROM WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD, THIS BOY HAS A PROPHECISED DESTINY BEFORE HIM. MY MASTER WILL NOT ALLOW THIS CHILD TO STAND UP AGAINST HIS INFINITE POWER. WHICH IS WHY I SHALL HAVE GREAT PLEASURE IN DESTROYING THIS BOY'S BODY AND STRIPPING HIM OF HIS PRECIOUS HEART. WITH THIS CHILD'S HEART IN OUR POSSESSION, NOTHING SHALL DARE STAND IN OUR WAY OF GREATNESS. THE UNIVERSE SHALL FALL INTO THE DEEPEST DEPTHS OF THE DARKNESS AND ALL SHALL BEND TO OUR WILL. BUT NOW, IT IS TIME FOR ALL OF US TO FULFILL OUR DESTINY." Lord Thanatos says**

Lord Thanatos whips off his dark cloak, revealing his armored bodysuit to the five heroes.

 **"NOW, COME. EMBRACE YOUR DESTINY. AND LET US CLASH FOR THE FATE OF THE UNKNOWN. LET US CLASH FOR THE FATE OF KINGDOM HEARTS AND THE UNIVERSE!"** Lord Thanatos says

Shara, Ducar, Terra, Ventus, and Aqua all switch into their Keyblade Armor and prepare to fight the three villains in an epic, climatic battle.

Ventus was about to run toward the three villains, but Terra gently pushed him aside and ran ahead with Ducar following close behind. The two men leapt forward with their Keyblades raised over their heads. But before they could reach them, Lord Thanatos raises his right-hand upward into the air, causing a huge column of the earth to rise up, knocking the two men onto it. Terra and Ducar both slid across the ground and eventually skidded to a stop.

After regaining themselves, they looked up and saw Lord Thanatos, Master Xehanort and Vanitas rise high up above them on another rock column. Vanitas leapt off and swung his Dark Keyblade, sending dark blue lightning bolts down on the two men. The electric bolts strike down on the two Keyblade Wielders who shielded themselves as the electricity made cracks in their armor. Another column of the earth rose up from behind the two men. Aqua, Shara, and Ventus ran past the two men, going after Vanitas. Terra and Ducar looked up at the two evil Keyblade Masters, then went to go help their friends.

As the great battle began, dark clouds formed overhead, blanketing the sky and covering the ancient battlefield in darkness.

Lord Thanatos stretched his left-arm out toward the ground down below, ripping a collection of Keyblades out from the ground, creating a large cyclone out of them.

Ventus leapt down at Vanitas with his Keyblade raised over his head and swung it down to strike, but the masked boy blocked against the attack. He pressed on the attack with another leaping strike, but Vanitas jumps back, evading the blow. Aqua tried to help Ventus by launching an ice blast at Vanitas, but he leapt away, making her miss. Shara aimed her Keyblade at Vanitas and launched a blue blast of light at him. Vanitas deflected the light blast with a swing of his Dark Keyblade, sending it over to the right into another rock pillar. Upon impact, the light blast explodes in a flash of light, blasting the large land mass into oblivion, leaving a huge crater in the ground.

Aqua and Shara looked up and saw the cyclone of Keyblades heading straight for them. The two women and young teen immediately fled. Vanitas jumped onto the cyclone and rode it, standing on two Keyblades. He then swung his Dark Keyblade with a right-slash, launching several ice blasts at the heroic trio as they kept on running. Ventus leapt over the cyclone, but he rolled across the ground as he landed. He quickly got up and leapt into the air just as Vanitas launched another ice blast at him, jumping off the cyclone. Ventus hurtled down toward Vanitas and swung his Keyblade with a downward slash, but the masked boy parried the blow and knocked him away with a swing of his Dark Keyblade. Aqua swung her Keyblade with a right-slash, sending a blast of electricity at Vanitas who leapt onto the cyclone with a backflip to dodge the attack.

The cyclone then went after Terra and Ducar who were up on another rock pillar. The two men were trying to make their way across when the cyclone tore through the ground underneath their feet, causing them to fall off the land mass. Aqua and Shara looked up and saw the two men get thrown off the rock pillar. The two men rolled along the rock wall as they fell. They both drove their Keyblades into the wall to slow their descent, but a chunk of the earth crumbled apart and they continued to fall toward the earth.

Shara and Aqua both looked down as they felt the ground shake beneath them. Then, another Keyblade cyclone rose up from underneath them, knocking them up and away while rising up toward the two men. When the two female Keyblade Masters landed onto the ground, Ventus rushed over to see if they were okay.

"Aqua! Shara!" Ventus cries out

The cyclone which hit the two women had broken their helmets, leaving their heads exposed. Aqua had a piece of her helmet covering the left-side of her cheek. And Shara had both pieces of her helmet covering both her cheeks. The two women rose up, grabbed their Keyblades, and pointed them upward.

"Terra!" Aqua cries out

"Ducar!" Shara cries out

Both of their Keyblades launched a light projectile that flew up toward Terra and Ducar who were being lifted into the air by the same cyclone of Keyblades. When the two magic spell reached them, they both combined together, forming a spherical barrier of light around the two men, shielding them from the cyclone. They were sent high up into the air until they were up to Lord Thanatos and Master Xehanort's level. The barrier soon exploded infront of the two villains who just stood and watched with sinister grins on their faces.

Shara and Aqua looked up toward the explosion while Ventus ran up to help the two men. Terra and Ducar both fell onto the rock pillar and slid across the ground, skidding to a stop.

Like the two women down below, the two men also had their Keyblade Armor shattered by the intense battle. Terra's helmet had lost the right-prong and his mouth was exposed. Ducar had lost both prongs on his helmet and his mouth was also exposed.

Focusing their attention on the two villains, Terra and Ducar rose onto their feet and attacked the two evil Keyblade Masters.

Ducar lunged his Keyblade at Lord Thanatos who knocked it away with a swipe of his Dark Keyblade. Ducar continued his assault with a left-slash, but the dark being parried the blow and swung his Keyblade over and away, He then thrusts his left-hand forward at Ducar, sending him back with a telekinetic blast from his open palm. Ducar was sent rolling back across the ground until he eventually came to a stop, landing flat on his back.

Terra raised his Keyblade over his head and brought it down on Master Xehanort, but he swung his Dark Keyblade in defense against the blow, causing Terra to flinch. He then swung his Keyblade down and away and thrust his left-hand forward, hurling a blast of ice at Terra knocked him back and froze his left-arm. Master Xehanort switched his Dark Keyblade over into his left-hand and held it out infront of him.

Ventus jumped up and tried to attack Master Xehanort while his back was turned, but he disappeared. He soon reappeared behind Ventus and grabbed him by the back of his head with his right-hand, holding him high off the ground. Ventus flailed around trying to break free, but to no avail. Terra and Ducar looked up in horror as the evil Keyblade Master held their best friend in his vicious grip. As he held him up, Master Xehanort tightened his grip on Ventus' head, causing his helmet to crack.

The two men rose up and tried to save Ventus, but they were thrown off by the cyclone of Keyblades that Vanitas rode, who landed next to Master Xehanort on his left-side. Terra and Ducar were both sent hurtling toward the ground down below with the cyclone of Keyblades cutting them badly, making them scream in pain.

Shara and Aqua stood up and looked up toward the top of the rock pillar infront of them. The two women gasped in horror as they saw Ventus in Master Xehanort's grip.

"Ven!" The two women gasped in horror

The young teen looked down toward the two women with his right-eye exposed through a hole in his helmet. Their horrified expressions reflected in his eye. A dark mist began to envelope Ventus' body, then he was frozen in ice. Master Xehanort then drops Ventus off the high cliff, causing him to fall to the ground down below. As he fell, he rolled along the rock wall just like Terra and Ducar. The head of his Keyblade broke off and his helmet shattered, leaving his head exposed. Only one piece of armor covered the right-side of his face, going down to his chin.

Aqua managed to catch Ventus and they both slid across the ground. The two women looked down at the poor boy and saw that his eyes were still moving.

"Ven, are you okay?" Aqua asks

Lord Thanatos grips his right-hand into a fist, then slowly opens it up, conjuring an dark red orb of darkness in his open palm. The dark orb's inner core was pure darkness, appearing as a black hole while it's outer core was dark red, sparking with electricity of the same color. It appeared as a small speck at first, but then it started to grow in size with each passing second. Soon, the dark orb was larger than his whole hand. Lord Thanatos raises his arm up and sends the dark orb up into the sky, releasing it into the clouds. The dark clouds began to scatter, revealing a blue heart-shaped moon. This moon was none other than Kingdom Hearts. Aqua, Shara, and Ventus looked up in astonishment while Lord Thanatos and Master Xehanort both had sinister smiles on their faces.

Terra rose up to his feet and removed his helmet. He then looked up toward Kingdom Hearts. The anger began to swell within him, and for a brief moment, his eyes changed in color from blue to orange.

Ducar sat upright and stood on all fours. He ripped off his helmet and looked up towards Kingdom Hearts. And just like Terra, the anger began to swell up within him. And for a brief moment, his eye color had faded into a red color before changing back.

Not far from the battlefield, Mickey stood out from a distance on a separate cliff and looks out toward the battle.

Terra and Ducar both mounted their Keyblade Gliders and flew up toward the top of the pillar where Master Xehanort, Lord Thanatos, and Vanitas awaited them.

 **"ADMIRABLY DONE. WE KNEW THIS WAS A JOURNEY YOU BOTH COULD MAKE, OVER THE UNSEEN WALL THAT DIVIDES LIGHT AND DARKNESS. AND WE WERE NOT WRONG, GENTLEMEN."** Lord Thanatos says

"My friend, Ven, you tell us, what did you do to him!?" Terra shouts

"And more importantly, what have you done to my son!" Ducar shouts

"Why, we did him a favor and freed the darkness inside him. Alas, poor Ventus never had the fortitude for such strenuous trials." Master Xehanort says

 **"AS FOR YOUR SON, DUCAR, HE IS TRAPPED BETWEEN THE BOUNDARIES OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS. YOU MAY CALL OUT TO YOUR SON AS MUCH AS YOU PLEASE, BUT HE WILL NOT AWAKEN FROM HIS SLUMBER. HE SHALL REMAIN SO UNTIL MY MASTER AND I AWAKEN THE DARKNESS THAT YOUR SON HARBORS IN HIS HEART. WHEN THE DARKNESS INSIDE YOUR SON HAS TAKEN HOLD, HE SHALL FINALLY BELONG TO US. AND IF HE DOES NOT ACCEPT THE DARKNESS IN HIS HEART, THEN HE SHALL DIE."** Lord Thanatos says

Ducar grinded his teeth in anger and he looked at the dark being with fire in his eyes. He would not allow his son to become a slave to Lord Thanatos or his master. Nor would he let them kill him. Not while he lived.

"Lord Thanatos!" Ducar shouts in rage

In that moment, Ducar made a head-on charge for Lord Thanatos, running straight toward the Dark Keyblade Master. Lord Thanatos just stood where he was as he allowed the enraged father to close in on him. As he started to close in on the evil being, Ducar gripped his Keyblade in both his hands and raises it over his right-shoulder, poised to strike. Within moments, he brings his Keyblade down on Lord Thanatos who quickly summoned his Dark Keyblade to block the blow, making Ducar flinch. Ducar attacked again, swinging his Keyblade left and right. Lord Thanatos switched the grip on his Dark Keyblade, holding it in a reverse grip and blocked both of Ducar's blows. He then spun around and delivered a reverse roundhouse slash to Ducar's chest, knocking him back. Ducar yelled out in pain having recieved the fierce blow.

"Gaaahhh!" Ducar yells

Ducar was sent sliding back across the ground on all fours, eventually skidding to a stop. Lord Thanatos stretches his left-hand toward Ducar and lifts him up in mid-air with his telekinetic powers. Ducar was caught in the telekinetic grip that emanated from Lord Thanatos' hand. He tried to move his body in an attempt to free himself, but to no avail. Lord Thanatos turns around and hurls Ducar through the air with just a wave of his hand. Ducar was sent rolling across the ground.

"Gnh! Ngh! Hmph!" Ducar grunts

Ducar soon came to a stop, laying flat on his stomach. While he was down, Lord Thanatos walked toward him with his Dark Keyblade in hand.

Terra tried to help Ducar by attacking Lord Thanatos while his back was turned, but Vanitas jumped in and interfered, swinging his Dark Keyblade down on him.

Ducar rose up on all fours and looked ahead of him, seeing that Lord Thanatos was approaching him. He grabbed hold of his Keyblade and slowly rose up on his feet, using his Keyblade for support. He then got into battle stance, drawing his Keyblade to his right-side with both hands. Lord Thanatos stopped and stood where he was, facing the brave Keyblade Wielder. The two warriors both stared at each other, exchanging faces. Ducar had a serious look on his face while Lord Thanatos, despite his mask, had a confident look on his face, giving Ducar a sinister grin.

Within moments, the two Keyblade Wielders leapt forward at each other and clashed with a loud clang. They both swung their Keyblades with lightning speed and powerful strength, throwing and parrying each other's blows.

Ducar swung his Keyblade with a left-diagonal strike, but Lord Thanatos held his Dark Keyblade opposite of him, blocking the blow. Next, Ducar attacks with three left and right slashes, but still the Dark Keyblade Master parries the sword strikes. Then, Ducar takes a swing at Lord Thanatos head in an attempt to slice off his head from his shoulders. The dark being held up his Dark Keyblade and blocked the blow. He then slid Ducar's Keyblade away and spun around, delivering a roundhouse kick to his stomach. Ducar lurched forward upon receiving the harsh kick.

"Oh!" Ducar yells in pain

Ducar fell down on all fours and coughed out a mouthful of blood. Lord Thanatos reached down and grabbed Ducar by his throat with his left-hand. He then tossed him high up into the air. From there, he leaps up, raises his Dark Keyblade over his right-shoulder with both hands, and slams down on Ducar's chest.

"Guyaaa!" Ducar yells

Ducar was sent flying down toward the ground below, falling at high speed.

While helping Aqua tend to Ventus, Shara looked up and was shocked by what she saw. She saw her husband falling from the sky on a collision course for the ground. Her eyes widened and her mouth was hanging open.

"Ducar!" Shara screams

Ducar crash lands into the ground several meters away from where Shara was. The impact from the crash created a large crater on the barren wasteland. Deeply worried for her beloved husband, Shara left Aqua with Ventus to aid Ducar. She rushed over to her fallen husband and lowered down to him. She could see that Ducar was in alot of pain as he groaned in his voice.

"G... Ngh... Shara... Ugh..." Ducar groans

"Ducar! Hold on!" Shara says

Shara held her left-hand over Ducar's body and closed her eyes. A blue light appeared on the palm of Shara's hand and a blue aura also enveloped her body. The same aura also enveloped Ducar's body as the magic healed him. Ducar took in a sharp breath as he was healed. The aura that enveloped both Ducar and Shara had both faded away.

Ducar sat upright and looked at his wife as she stood infront of him, giving her a slight smile. Shara returned the smile with one of her own. She then switched her Keyblade over to her left-hand and offered her husband her right-hand. Ducar gladly took hold of his dearly beloved's hand and was pulled up onto his feet. The two soon directed their attention toward Lord Thanatos as he hovered down to the ground infront of them. Shara and Ducar both gripped their Keyblades and got into battle stance as they prepared to face the evil Dark Keyblade Master together.

Soon enough, Shara and Ducar both leapt forward at Lord Thanatos and they swing their Keyblades at him. Lord Thanatos, being the skilled Dark Keyblade Master that he was, manages to block both Shara and Ducar's blows with hardly any effort. He switches back and forth from the two warriors, spinning his Dark Keyblade around and switching grips to block their blows.

Ducar swings his Keyblade down on Lord Thanatos who knocks it away with a swing of his Dark Keyblade. Ducar staggered a bit after being knocked away by Lord Thanatos, but he came back at him with some more blows. He swings his Keyblade with a left-slash aimed at his head, but Lord Thanatos blocks the blow just as it came inches up to his face. Next, Ducar takes a sweep at his legs, but Lord Thanatos leaps over the strike and counters with a reverse roundhouse kick to his head, knocking Ducar back.

Shara ran up and jumped over Ducar, leaping forward at the dark being with her Keyblade raised over her right-shoulder. Lord Thanatos dodges the blow by ducking down and leaning his body over to the left. Once she landed behind him, Lord Thanatos spun around and swung his Dark Keyblade with a left-slash, trying to strike Shara while her back was turned. Shara quickly turned around and leapt over Lord Thanatos with a twirl, dodging the blow thrown at her. Afterwards, she tried to hit Lord Thanatos with a double kick to his head, but the dark being leaned his body back, making her miss. He then sent Shara back with a telekinetic blast, thrusting his left-hand forward at her.

Shara was sent sliding back toward Ducar, skidding to a stop on his left-side. Ducar was down on one knee, but he rose up onto his feet, standing alongside his wife. The two parents looked at each other, then turned their attention back toward Lord Thanatos. What he did next really surprised them. The Dark Keyblade that Lord Thanatos held in his hand began to glow with a black light as it's form changed. Soon, the black light dimmed down and Lord Thanatos was now holding a large, double-bladed version of the Harbinger of Shadows.

In this form, the halberd had two long, slim, extravagant blades on both sides with traces of black flesh on them. Both blades had diamond-shaped spike tips and were connected to the smooth, black handle which had a red eye of darkness on either side of the hilt. The guard of the handle was rounded, resembling demonic wings.

Lord Thanatos spun his double-bladed Dark Keyblade around his body, then held it out infront of him with his left-arm drawn back. Shara and Ducar both got into battle stance and stood alongside each other as they continued their battle against the Dark Keyblade Master.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Aqua still held Ventus in her arms, watching the fight between Devon's parents and Lord Thanatos. Suddenly, she heard a voice speak out to her.

"How 'bout you leave the popsicle with me, so you can have your little fight with Terra and Ducar." The voice says

The voice belonged to Braig who stood before Ventus and Aqua. When the man appeared before the two, he appeared to be different. His right-eye had an eye-patch, his remaining eye was now yellow, and his ears were now pointed. Aqua turned around to face Braig.

"You can't be too happy about them deep-sixing your Master." Braig says

"Who are you?" Aqua asks

Braig looked at Aqua and Ventus and he gave them a sinister grin.

"You think you two have got some grand role to play. As if! You're only here so that when I finish you off... Terra and Ducar will succumb to the darkness. So, who wants to go first?" Braig says

"Shut up!" Ventus yells

"Oh, so this kiddo thinks he's a full-fledged Keyblade Wielder? He's got the angry look down." Braig says

"Go ahead and waste your time trying to drive us apart with your mind games. It will never work!" Aqua says

Aqua gently places Ventus down on the ground and stood up against Braig.

"Terra and Ducar will prove that they are stronger." Aqua says

Aqua summons her Keyblades and charges at Braig who pulled out his two Arrowguns.

"Aqua!" Ventus cries out

While Aqua fought off against Braig, Ventus struggled to try and move.

Braig aims his Arrowguns at Aqua and began charging up energy.

"Take this!" Braig says

As soon as he was fully charged, Braig fires a massive energy bolt straight at Aqua. The female Keyblade Master saw the energy bolt flying straight toward her and she instinctively jumped over it with a somersault.

Aqua lands down infront of Braig and strikes with her Keyblade. She hits him with a left and right slash, a spinning slash, and a downward slash. Braig jumps back and fires his Arrowguns at Aqua, shooting at least six shots at her, but she deflects the shots with her Keyblade, sending them back at him. Braig stumbled backwards as each shot hit him.

Aqua tried to take a slash at Braig, but he warps away and reappears behind her. He then began spinning around in place in circle, firing a series of energy bolts. Aqua leaned her body away from the shots, dodging them as best as she could. Just when she thought it was over, Braig brought up another trick.

"Kiss yourself goodbye!" Braig says

Braig leaps up into the air and twirls his Arrowguns overhead, firing several large dark blue energy bullets from black portals of space. Aqua quickly ran away from the energy bullets, cartwheeling left and right. However, a barrage of energy bullets shot out from a portal infront of her. Reacting quickly, Aqua stopped and summoned a spherical barrier of light which shielded her from the shots. The energy shots rained down on Aqua relentlessly, but they bounced off the barrier. Once the attack had ceased, Aqua went on the attack.

First, Aqua hurls her Keyblade at Braig with a horizontal toss. The Keyblade lands a direct hit at Braig's chest, making him stagger back. After her Keyblade returns back into her hand, Aqua closes the gap between her and Braig with a sliding dash, jetting forward at him and striking him with a right-uppercut. Next, Aqua strikes with a spinning slash which hits three times. Then, she knocks Braig into the air with an uppercut. She leaps up and sends him higher up with another uppercut, then smacks him back down to the ground.

Braig lands on his feet after being struck by Aqua who lands down across from him. He let out a growl of frustration as he was now starting to take this fight seriously. Braig charges at Aqua with his Arrowguns and the fight between him and the female Keyblade Master continued on.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Back up on the rock pillar, Terra attacks Master Xehanort, cleaving his Keyblade down on him. Master Xehanort blocks the attack with his Dark Keyblade, putting the two into a blade lock. He then directs his attention toward Vanitas.

"Go take what Ventus owes you and take Aqua's life!" Master Xehanort says

Vanitas nods and heads toward the edge of the rock pillar. Terra saw Vanitas heading for the edge of the rock pillar and pushes Master Xehanort aside. He then went after Vanitas to try and stop him. Unfortunately, he was too late as Vanitas jumps off and dives down toward Aqua and Ventus. Terra was about to jump off after him, but Master Xehanort teleports infront of him, blocking his path.

"You see how powerless you are to save them? Savor that rage and despair. Let it empower you!" Master Xehanort says

Terra gripped his left-hand into a fist as he faced the old, evil Keyblade Master.

"You will pay, Xehanort! Was my Master-no, my father, Eraqus not enough for you? Leave my friends alone!" Terra says

An aura of darkness began to envelope Terra's body, much to Master Xehanort's excitement.

"Yes, boy. That's it! More! Let your whole heart blacken with anger!" Master Xehanort says

Terra was just so angry with everything that had happened since the start of his journey. He was angry that he failed to become a Keyblade Master. Angry that he had been used and deceived by Maleficent and other villains. But now at the top of the list, he was angry with Master Xehanort. The wicked old man who had deceived him from the very beginning. The one who killed Master Eraqus right infront of him. And the one who had now endangered his friends.

Unable to contain the anger and frustration anymore, Terra crosses his arms and thrusts them out, letting out a loud scream, causing a large amount of darkness to erupt from his body.

"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" Terra screams

Terra made the first move as he charges at Master Xehanort with his body cloaked in darkness and thrusts his Keyblade at him. But before he could hit him, Master Xehanort teleports away in the blink of an eye. He then reappears behind Terra and strikes him in the back with a right-slash. Terra was knocked forward by the hit and he grunted in pain. He soon continues his attack on his master by unleashing a fast and furious flurry of slashes on him. Master Xehanort blocks each and every one of Terra's blows with hardly any effort. He then counters with a series of quick slashes, hitting Terra multiple times. Master Xehanort then pins Terra to the ground, holding him down by his throat while holding his Dark Keyblade over him.

"You played your role admirably! Now accept your reward!" Master Xehanort says

Just when Master Xehanort was about to make his move, Terra grabbed hold of his master's hand and pushed up against his grip. Eventually, he broke free and Terra struck Master Xehanort with a fierce blow to the chest, knocking the old Keyblade Master back.

Master Xehanort stumbled back after being struck back by Terra and he was a bit surprised. In all his life as a Keyblade Master, not many warriors have been able to land a hit on him. Nevertheless, the old Keyblade Master held a sinister grin on his face as he continued his fight with Terra.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Down on the ground, Shara and Ducar were still in their heated battle against Lord Thanatos.

Ducar attacked Lord Thanatos with a flurry of quick, strong slashes. He swings his Keyblade with a right-diagonal slash, six horizontal slashes, and five roundhouse slashes. Lord Thanatos blocks each blow that was thrown at him using his double-bladed Dark Keyblade, then counters with a reverse roundhouse kick to Ducar's stomach, sending him back.

"Gaaaaah!" Ducar yells out in pain

Ducar was sent rolling across the ground until he came to a stop flat on his stomach.

Shara looked back at her husband, then looked back at Lord Thanatos. She then began to sprint toward the Dark Keyblade Master to strike. Lord Thanatos looked over to his right and saw the female Keyblade Master rushing towards him. The dark being stretched his left-hand out and launched a dark blue electric blast toward her. Shara leapt over to the right with a cartwheel, dodging the blast. Lord Thanatos hurls another electric blast at Shara, but this time she cartwheels over to the left. He hurls a third electric blast at the female Keyblade Master, but she leaps up into the air just as the dark blast explodes on the ground. Shara raised her Keyblade over her head as she leapt forward at the Dark Keyblade Master.

Lord Thanatos saw the brave mother approaching him and he began charging up dark energy in his left-hand with dark blue electric sparks crackling along his arm. Before Shara could reach him, Lord Thanatos thrusts his hand up at her, hurling lightning bolts from his fingertips. Shara was hit by the powerful electric discharge and she felt the painful electrocution surge throughout her whole body which was enough to make her scream in agony.

"Aaaaah!" Shara screams

Shara was thrown back by electric discharge upon impact and was sent smashing into a rock spire on the battlefield. The impact left a large crater on the side of the rock spire. Shara fell off from the impact crater and fell onto the ground, flat on her stomach.

Ducar's eyes widened with utter shock and horror as he saw his wife fall unconscious.

"Shara!" Ducar cries out

Now, Ducar was really mad. He looks back at Lord Thanatos with a look of pure rage, grinding down on his teeth. Ducar rises up onto his feet and grabs hold of his Keyblade, gripping it tightly. As he stood against the now enraged father, the double-bladed Harbinger of Shadows changed back into it's Dark Keyblade form in a flash of darkness.

 **"ALL THROUGHOUT YOUR JOURNEY, YOU SOUGHT TO DEFEAT THE DARKNESS INSIDE YOU. YOU SOUGHT FOR A WAY TO CLEANSE YOUR SOUL AND ATONE FOR YOUR SINS. BUT YOUR EFFORTS HAVE ONLY STRENGTHENED THE DARK POWER IN YOUR HEART. ACCEPT IT, DUCAR. THE DARKNESS IS YOUR REAL POWER. IT IS WHERE YOUR HEART TRULY BELONGS. IT IS POINTLESS TO FIGHT AGAINST IT.** **EMBRACE** **THE INEVITABLE TRUTH! WIELD THE** **POWER OF THE DARKNESS!"** Lord Thanatos says

"That's enough, Lord Thanatos! Now, you've really ticked me off! I will make you pay for what you have done! For endangering my friends, my family, and more importantly my son, you'll pay!" Ducar shouts

A black aura of darkness began to envelope Ducar as his anger started to increase. He could not stand to watch all the people that he loved suffer anymore. His friends, his family. Terra, Ventus, Aqua, Shara, Devon. He just couldn't take it anymore. His blood was boiling hot with deep hatred towards the Dark Keyblade Master.

A sinister smile came upon Lord Thanatos' face as he was very pleased to see that Ducar was finally succumbing to the darkness in his heart. He knew it would not be long before he'd finally be consumed by it.

 **"YES. GOOD. LET THE RAGE FUEL THE DARK FIRES IN YOUR HEART! LET IT GIVE YOU STRENGTH! LET IT CONTROL YOU! LET YOUR WHOLE BEING FILL WITH DARKNESS! BECOME DARKNESS ITSELF!"** Lord Thanatos says

Now consumed by the anger and hatred in his heart, Ducar closed his eyes and began to draw forth the power of the darkness. He slowly bended his body over and his gripped both his hands into fists, causing them to flash with a dark light. Six dark blue pillars of darkness shoot up from the ground around Ducar with dark lightning surging through them. Ducar's entire body began spark with dark blue electric sparks which got more and more intense. Ducar soon opened his eyes and his pupils shrank and became dark black slits. With the power of darkness surging through his body, Ducar crosses his arms, then thrusts them out, unleashing a large beam of darkness into the sky, letting out a loud scream.

"Hmmmmmrrrrraaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" Ducar screams

Soon, the darkness clears and there stood Ducar with his entire body radiating a black and dark blue aura of darkness. Dark blue electricity sparked and crackled along his body. His Keyblade glowed with a dark aura of the same color. His hands now emitted a black light. His eyes were now glowing red. His body was also lined with several blue veins which glowed underneath his skin. Wisps of darkness emanated from his body as well.

Seeing that Ducar was now using the power of darkness in his heart, Lord Thanatos thought he'd give him a taste of his own dark power. As thus, the Dark Keyblade Master began to radiate a black aura of darkness. His Dark Keyblade glowed with a dark aura of the same color. Evil red glyph markings appeared all over his entire body and glowed with it's dark light. Dark blue electricity sparked and crackled along his body. And just like Ducar, wisps of darkness emanated from his body as well.

With that, the epic battle between Ducar and Lord Thanatos began.

Lord Thanatos strikes first by thrusting his left-hand forward, hurling a barrage of lightning bolts from his fingertips. Ducar blocks the attack with his Keyblade. The dark lightning bolts hits Ducar's Keyblade, sending dark lightning bolts in all directions. The two Keyblade Wielders stood their ground as the dark lightning bolts was shot in all directions. They both stared each other down not one blinking an eye. Ducar broke the clash swinging his Keyblade to the right, sending the dark lightning bolts away from him.

Ducar motions his Keyblade back, then attacks with a flurry of quick slashes, swinging his Keyblade upward and downward, then left and right eight times. Then, he attacks with six spinning slashes, swinging his Keyblade diagonally counter-clockwise. Lord Thanatos kept up his defense and blocked each of Ducar's blows.

Now it was his turn to attack. He sends Ducar back with a thrust of his left-hand, blasting him away with a strong telekinetic blast. Ducar was sent sliding back across the ground. He soon skidded to a stop using his left-hand to catch himself. Lord Thanatos swings his Keyblade with a downward slash, launching a crescent blade of darkness toward Ducar. Ducar cuts through the crescent blade with a swing his Keyblade, slicing it in half. Lord Thanatos jumps high into the air and swings his Keyblade sending dark lightning bolts down toward Ducar. Ducar saw the incoming attack and immediately jumps out of the way.

Ducar lunges his Keyblade at Lord Thanatos who jumps to the right, spins around, and strikes, swinging his Dark Keyblade at Ducar. Ducar quickly turned around and held his Keyblade up, blocking the blow. Lord Thanatos raises his Dark Keyblade over his head and swings it down on Ducar. Reacting quickly, Ducar jumps and rolls over to the right-side, dodging the blow. Ducar jumps up to his feet and leaps at Lord Thanatos, swinging his Keyblade downward, but the dark being simply steps aside, causing Ducar to miss. Ducar spun around and swinged his Keyblade at Lord Thanatos with a right slash. Again, Lord Thanatos dodges Ducar's Keyblade by simply leaning his whole body back.

Ducar cleaves his Keyblade down on Lord Thanatos who blocks the attack with his Keyblade holding it horizontally in defense. The two warriors were caught in a blade lock, but it was brief as they soon leapt away from each other, both performing a backflip. Ducar rises to his feet and leaps forward at Lord Thanatos, swinging his Keyblade over his right-shoulder. Lord Thanatos held up his Dark Keyblade and parried the blow. Ducar swings his Keyblade right and downward again. Again, Lord Thanatos blocks Ducar's attacks. Ducar leaps up and tries to kick Lord Thanatos with his right-foot, but he ducks down, dodging the kick. Ducar swings left and right two times, then spins around swinging his Keyblade, but Lord Thanatos parries the blows. Ducar swings his Keyblade up and down, then spun around, swinging his Keyblade with a roundhouse slash. Again, Lord Thanatos parries the blows with his Dark Keyblade. Ducar tried to take another slash at the dark being, but he jumps back a good feet away from him.

The two Keyblade Wielders charge at each other and clash with powerful force, creating a shockwave of darkness that spreaded throughout the battlefield. The clash was so strong that it made the ground shake. Ducar and Lord Thanatos both swung their Keyblades at each other with unbelievably fast speed and powerful force, neither one of them backing down.

Lord Thanatos swings his Keyblade down on Ducar, striking him with at least twenty strikes. Ducar held up his Keyblade, defending himself from the relentless blows. Lord Thanatos finishes his attack by cleaving his Keyblade down on Ducar. Ducar blocks against the blow and kicks the dark being back with a left-kick to his chest. With his guard down, Ducar swings his Keyblade with swift speed and strong force, striking him at least twenty times. Lord Thanatos staggered back as he was assaulted by the barrage of attacks. Ducar soon finishes his assault with a right-diagonal slash which sent Lord Thanatos sliding back across the ground.

Lord Thanatos slid back after being struck by Ducar and eventually skidded to a stop. He rose up and stood straight as he glared at Ducar with his demonic red eyes. The two warriors soon charged at each other and their epic battle continued.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Aqua manages to defeat Braig as he was down on his knees. Braig soon began to rise onto his feet and he was panting for air.

"I keep forgetting don't mess with Keyblade Wielders. But you know what? That just means I made the right choice." Braig says

Aqua charged at Braig while he stood where he was.

"Well... he wanted me to buy time, and I'd say he got it." Braig says

Braig gave Aqua a smirk, then turns around and flees, much to Aqua's confusion. Aqua watched as Braig fled, then turned her attention back toward Ventus.

"Ven!" Aqua cries out

Ventus was still trying to move, fighting against his frozen armor. He then looked up and was horrified by what he saw. Vanitas was hurtling straight down toward Aqua.

"Aqua!" Ventus cries out

As Vanitas fell, he raised his Dark Keyblade over his head and struck Aqua down with a downward slash. Aqua fell backwards onto the ground down, but not dead. Ventus struggled as hard as he could to break free of the ice. Vanitas took his hold of his Dark Keyblade with both hands and turned it over so that the blade was pointing down at Aqua. Just as he raised his Dark Keyblade to make the killing blow, he heard Ventus' voice cry out.

"No!" Ventus shouts

Ventus was finally free of the ice and he stood on his feet before Vanitas with his Keyblade drawn and reformed.

Ventus ran at full speed toward Vanitas and leapt at him with his Keyblade raised over his head. Vanitas saw the incoming attack and raised his Dark Keyblade up in defense. Within moments, the two Keyblades of light and darkness clashed with a loud clang, putting the two wielders in a blade lock.

"Hmm. So, you've finally decided to put up a fight." Vanitas says

"I won't let you hurt my friends!" Ventus says

Ventus shoves Vanitas back and tried to cut across his chest with a swipe of his Keyblade, but the masked boy jumps back a good feet away with a backflip.

Vanitas leaps up into the air and swings his Dark Keyblade with a right-slash, sending dark blue bolts of lightning down toward Ventus who rolls over to the right, dodging the attack. Once his feet touched the ground, Vanitas swinged his Dark Keyblade with a downward slash, sending a dark blue crescent blade of darkness toward Ventus. Ventus leaps over to the left and rolls across the ground, dodging the crescent blade. He then jumped to his feet and swinged his Keyblade with a right-slash, sending a blue crescent blade of light toward Vanitas. The attack hits Vanitas dead on in the chest, knocking him back, leaving him dazed.

Ventus rushes forward at Vanitas and strikes him with a flurry of quick slashes. He attacks with two extremely fast slashes, swinging his Keyblade left and right, then delivers a powerful overhead spinning strike. Next, Ventus strikes with six quick slashes. Then, he knocks Vanitas into the air with a strong uppercut. Ventus leaps up after him and sends Vanitas flying back down to the ground.

Once his feet touched the ground, Vanitas was sent sliding back until he skidded to a stop, using his left-hand to catch himself. The masked boy looked ahead of him and saw Ventus land a couple feet away from him.

Ventus began running toward Vanitas for another attack. He then leapt forward with his Keyblade raised over his head to strike. But before he could reach him, Vanitas jumps up and thrusts his left-hand down to the ground, creating a black portal in which he dives into, disappearing from sight. Ventus brought his Keyblade down just as Vanitas disappeared into the dark portal. He then began looking around for Vanitas, trying to figure out where he would strike. Unknown to Ventus, a dark light appeared on the ground behind him and began stalking towards him. Ventus sensed that something was behind him and quickly turned around. And sure enough, he saw the dark light quickly approaching him. Just as the dark light reached him, Vanitas jumps out from the same dark portal he used and attacked with an upwards spiral, unleashing a flurry of dark blue fireballs. Luckily, Ventus jumped away just as Vanitas emerged from the ground, dodging both him and the dark fireballs.

Vanitas lands on the ground and stood on his feet with Ventus only a few feet away from him. He then began charging up with dark energy, causing a dark black aura to envelope his body. As soon as he was charged up, Vanitas flies forward at Ventus with his Dark Keyblade drawn back to strike. Ventus saw the incoming attack and he began charging up with pure energy, emitting a blue aura of light. As soon as he was fully charged, Ventus flies forward at Vanitas with his Keyblade raised over his right-shoulder. Within moments, the two Keyblade Wielders clashed, creating a powerful shockwave and making the ground beneath them crack. Ventus and Vanitas were now both in a power struggle, pushing against each other. Vanitas seemed to have the upperhand at first, but that quickly changed when Ventus started pushing him back. Eventually, Ventus breaks through to Vanitas and delivers a devastating blow to his chest, sending him back sliding across the ground.

With Vanitas left weakened, Ventus strikes him with six rapid slashes and an advancing spin attack that hits four times. Next, he strikes with six rapid slashes, three vertical and three horizontal. He follows up with a charging spin attack followed by six more slashes. Ventus held his Keyblade out infront of him. An aura of blue light began to envelope his Keyblade. Ventus soon opens his eyes and hurls his Keyblade at Vanitas with a right-diagonal toss. The Keyblade flew straight toward the masked boy, leaving a trail of light in it's wake. Within moments, the Keyblade hits Vanitas in the chest with a direct hit, finishing the fight.

Vanitas was sent flying after receiving the hit from Ventus' Keyblade. He slid across the ground and eventually skidded to a stop. He then rose up and stood before Ventus with a dark aura enveloping his body.

"You've done it, Ventus." Vanitas says

As he stood there, Vanitas' mask began to dissolve, revealing his face for the first time. When his helmet fully dissolved, Vanitas looked alot like Sora. The only differences was that his hair was black and his eyes were a luminous, orange color.

"Now that my body is about to perish... you and I will have to join together! The X-blade will be forged!" Vanitas says

The darkness that enveloped Vanitas' body spread down on the ground, forming a circle around him and Ventus. Several Flood Unversed came out from the darkness and jumped onto Ventus, holding him down on the ground.

"The Unversed... come from you?" Ventus asks

Several types of Unversed appeared behind Vanitas, including Trinity Armor which Ventus, Terra, Aqua, Shara, and Ducar had supposedly defeated back in Radiant Garden.

"It happened when you and I were split in two. The negativity took shape as these monsters. They are what I feel, a horde of fledging emotions under my control. I released them in all the worlds I could, hoping to lure you away from home and isolate you from your Master. We needed to make you stronger. The Unversed were the perfect opponents. And better yet, no matter how many times you defeat them... their negativity flows right back into me." Vanitas explains

All of the Unversed that were behind Vanitas were absorbed back into his body.

"You never stood a chance against us, Ventus." Vanitas says

Vanitas walked closer to Ventus and an orb of light enveloped them, growing in size and blowing Aqua away. The ground around the orb of light cracked. Inside, Ventus struggled as Vanitas merged his body with his. Unable to fight it, Ventus lets out a scream. The orb of light condensed and a beam of light shot up into the sky.

( _Meanwhile_ )

The battle between Ducar and Lord Thanatos still raged on as the two powerful warriors stood against each other.

Ducar aims his Keyblade at Lord Thanatos and fires a volley of dark blasts at him. Lord Thanatos deflects each of the dark blasts with a swing of his Dark Keyblade. Next, Ducar throws his Keyblade at Lord Thanatos with a right toss. The Keyblade soared across the air with a dark blue aura as it headed toward it's target. Before it could reach him, Lord Thanatos leaps high into the air, making Ducar's Keyblade miss and vanish in a flash of darkness. Ducar looked up and saw Lord Thanatos swing his Dark Keyblade with a right slash, launching a dark blast of electricity down toward him. Ducar leaps over to the right and rolls across the ground just as the dark blue lightning bolts strike the ground. Lord Thanatos lands crouched down on the ground and both he and Ducar rise back up on their feet.

Ducar charged at Lord Thanatos and brought his Keyblade down on him, but he held up his Dark Keyblade, blocking against the blow. Lord Thanatos swings his Keyblade right and downward, but Ducar parries the blows. The dark being tried to slam his left-arm at Ducar, but he ducks down, evading his arm. Lord Thanatos swings his Dark Keyblade left and right four times, then spins around, attacking with a reverse roundhouse slash. Ducar parried each of the blows that was thrown at him. Lord Thanatos spun around the other way and swung his Dark Keyblade with a roundhouse slash, but Ducar blocked against the blow by holding his Keyblade vertically infront of him. He then kicks the dark being back with his left-foot at his chest, making him stagger back. With his guard down, Ducar strikes with six wide-sweeping slashes, four vertical slashes, four horizontal slashes, and a powerful jumping strike which left Lord Thanatos dazed and stunned.

With Lord Thanatos left weakened, Ducar swings his Keyblade upward, downward, then swinging left and right ten times. He leaps forward, cleaving his Keyblade down on Lord Thanatos. Next, he zips back and forth, striking the dark being twenty times with quick speed from all directions. Then, he knocks Lord Thanatos higher into the air with an uppercut from his Keyblade. He leaps up and strikes Lord Thanatos thirteen times, kicks him even higher into the air, performs a forward and backwards somersault hitting Lord Thanatos twenty times and finally cleaves his Keyblade down on Lord Thanatos, finishing the epic battle.

Lord Thanatos was sent flying back by the powerful blow. He lands on his feet, then falls down on one knee. Ducar approached the evil being and stopped only a few feet away from him. But then, the ground shook violently. The confusion of the tremor shook Ducar out of his dark trance and he reverted back to his former self.

"What?" Ducar says baffled

Ducar looked around wearily for the source of the tremor, but he soon focused his attention at Lord Thanatos who began laughing in triumph.

 **"HEH HEH HEH HEH... HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! IT IS DONE!"** Lord Thanatos says rising to his feet

Ducar quickly turned around and saw the beam of light.

 **"BEHOLD! THE X-BLADE HAS FINALLY BEEN FORGED!"** Lord Thanatos says

"Ven!" Ducar cries out

While his back was turned, Lord Thanatos began rushing up to Ducar. Before he could do anything, Lord Thanatos grabs Ducar by his throat with his right-hand and holds him high off the ground in a vicious grip. Ducar began to choke in Lord Thanatos' strong grip.

"Gu... Ga... Ugh..." Ducar grunts

 **"THE X-BLADE AT LONG LAST IS OURS. YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS HAVE FAILED. BUT I SHALL NOT DESTROY YOU, DUCAR. NO, I HAVE BETTER USE FOR YOU."** Lord Thanatos says

In a flash of darkness, the dark orb that had Devon trapped inside appears behind Lord Thanatos, hovering in mid-air. He then snaps his finger in his left-hand, causing the dark orb to disappear, dropping Devon onto the ground.

 **"I HAVE DECIDED TO SPARE YOUR SON'S LIFE... FOR NOW. INSTEAD, I SHALL TAKE YOU. YOUR DARK POWER IS JUST WHAT MY MASTER NEEDS BY HIS SIDE. YOU WILL MAKE A FINE SERVANT FOR THE DARK LORD'S EMPIRE. AND I'M CERTAIN HE WILL AGREE."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos takes his right-hand and seeps it into Ducar's chest, making cry out in agonizing pain.

"Aaaaaaaaaah!" Ducar screams in pain

Eventually, Ducar loses consciousness from the immense pain. Lord Thanatos drops Ducar on the ground and looks down at his unconscious body.

 **"WITH THE DARKNESS AS YOUR ONLY ALLY, NOTHING SHALL STOP YOU. YOU WILL BECOME A POWERFUL DARK KEYBLADE WIELDER, SPREADING FEAR AND CHAOS ACROSS THE UNIVERSE IN OUR NAME. YOU BELONG TO US NOW, DUCAR."** Lord Thanatos says

A pool of darkness appeared underneath Ducar and Lord Thanatos and they both began to sink into it. Ducar was the first to be claimed by the darkness and then Lord Thanatos sank into the dark pool, laughing in his deep, dark, demonic voice.

 **"HM HM HM HM HM HM HM HM... HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"** Lord Thanatos laughs

Soon, the dark pool closed and disappeared, taking both the unconscious father and the dark being with it.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Up at the top of the rock pillar, Terra manages to defeat Master Xehanort who was now down on his knees using his Dark Keyblade for support. Suddenly, the ground shook with a violent rumble. Master Xehanort covered his head, but he soon looked up and gasped in amazement.

"There! You see!" Master Xehanort says

Terra turned around and saw the beam of light.

"The X-blade has been forged!" Master Xehanort says

"Ven!" Terra cries out

"And now, Terra, it is time for the final union." Master Xehanort says

Master Xehanort took his Dark Keyblade and turned it on himself. Terra turned around and was surprised at what Master Xehanort was doing.

"What?" Terra says baffled

"At last our moment is here." Master Xehanort says

In that moment, Master Xehanort stabs himself in the chest with his Dark Keyblade, causing his heart to float out of his body.

"Out with the old and brittle vessel and in with a stronger new one!" Master Xehanort says

Terra watched in shock and began to back away.

"I swore I would survive and see what awaited me beyond the Keyblade War." Master Xehanort says

Master Xehanort looks back at Terra and gave him a sinister smile.

"And now it is your darkness that shall be the ark that sustains me!" Master Xehanort says

In that moment, Master Xehanort sent his heart flying toward Terra. Reacting quickly, Terra switches into his Keyblade Armor to protect himself. But the effort was proven futile. Master Xehanort's heart enters Terra's body. The old Keyblade Master smiled triumphantly and he fades away in a collection of wisps of light. Terra's Keyblade Armor fell apart and falls onto the ground along with his Keyblade. Terra was no more. Now standing on the rock pillar was a new being of darkness. His name was Terranort.

Terranort's appearance was almost identical to Terra's, only he had Xehanort's silver hair, darker skin, and yellow eyes.

"This heart once again belongs to darkness. All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end. The heart is no different. Darkness sprouts within it. It grows, consumes it. Such is its nature. In the end, every heart returns to the darkness whence it came." Terranort says

Terranort smiles in triumph and summons Xehanort's Dark Keyblade into his right-hand. He starts walking away and was about to leave until a giant golden forcefield with chains encases him on the rock pillar.

"What?" Terranort says baffled

Sensing that something was behind him, Terranort turns around and saw Terra's Lingering Will kneeling on the ground with his Keyblade infront of him.

"Your body submits, your heart succumbs, so why does your mind resist?" Terranort says

The Lingering Will rises up on the ground, grabs his Keyblade, and drew it to his right-side as he prepared to fight Terranort to get his body back.

Within moments, the battle began with the Lingering Will charging at Terranort, thrusting his Keyblade at him. Terranort leapt out of the way, dodging the attack. The Lingering Will continued thrusting his Keyblade at Terranort several times, but he kept on missing as Terranort leapt out of the way each time.

"Yield!" Terranort says

Terranort aims his Dark Keyblade at the Lingering Will and launches a volley of dark blasts at him. The Lingering Will deflects each of the dark blasts with a swing of his Keyblade. Afterwards, the animated armor rushes forward and strikes with a downward slash. Terranort raises up his Dark Keyblade and blocks the attack, then slams his Dark Keyblade into the ground. The Lingering Will quickly jumped back, dodging the countering strike.

Terranort moved in and attacked with a fast and furious flurry of slashes. He even used his free hand to claw at the animated armor. The possessed Keyblade Wielder stretched his left-hand forward at the Lingering Will, materializing a large hand of dark red and purple energy to claw at him, but the animated armor leapt back, evading the attack. Terranort gave the Lingering Will a smirk and sunk into the ground, disappearing from sight. The Lingering Will saw a small pool of dark energy on the ground traveling straight toward him. Reacting to this, the animated armor braced itself. Within moments, Terranort jumps out from the ground, materializing the hand again straight up into the air. The Lingering Will manages to jump back, evading Terranort's attack.

"Enough!" Terranort says

Terranort raises his Dark Keyblade into the air, summoning several rock pillars from the ground. With a thrust of his left-hand, the possessed Keyblade Wielder sends the rocks flying toward the Lingering Will who quickly dashes left and right, evading the attack.

"Sink into darkness!" Terranort says

Terranort changes his Dark Keyblade into an enormous cannon and fires a dark blue giant sphere of dark energy at the Lingering Will. The animated armor copied the attack, changing his Keyblade into a large cannon and firing a giant sphere of pure energy. Both spheres collided with each other and upon impact, they both exploded, covering most of the area in a large explosion. The blinding light forced Terranort to shield his eyes, giving the Lingering Will the opportunity to strike. The possessed Keyblade Wielder looked ahead of him and saw the Lingering Will leaping forward at him.

"What?!" Terranort says baffled

The Lingering Will raised his Keyblade over his right-shoulder and slammed it down on Terranort's chest, creating a rippling shockwave of light which knocked him back and left him stunned.

With Terranort left weakened, the Lingering Will rushed forward and assails him with a string of ferocious blows. First, he strikes with an upward and downward slash. Next, he follows up with six left and right slashes. Then, he attacks with two spinning slashes, one vertical and one horizontal, and finishes with a powerful overhead strike, delivering a devastating blow to Terranort's chest, finishing the fight.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Aqua was left unconscious from Vanitas' attack and was floating within the reaches of her mind.

 _"I'm asking you as a friend... just... put an end to me."_

Aqua soon regains consciousness and saw Mickey standing next to her.

"Gosh, I'm glad you're both ok!" Mickey says

Aqua sat up and rubbed her head. She soon remembered Ventus.

"Ven!" Aqua exclaims

Aqua rises onto her feet and looks around. She soon saw Ventus standing up above her.

"Oh, thank goodness! Ven! You're safe!" Aqua says

Aqua heads up the hill toward Ventus. However, there was something unusual about Ventus. He seemed to be in some sort of trance as his eyes was closed and his head was hung over.

"Ven?" Aqua says feeling a bit confused

Mickey soon joins Aqua and he notices Ventus holding a weapon in his hand. It was actually in fact the X-blade. In that moment, Ventus raises his head and his eyes open, revealing orange eyes and a sinister smile on his face. He pulls the X-blade back and was ready to stab Aqua, but then Mickey jumps in and saves the shocked Keyblade Master, sliding the X-blade away with his Keyblade. Aqua and Mickey jumped back away from Ventus.

"That's not Ven!" Mickey says

Mickey was right about that. The person who stood before the two heroes was not Ventus. He was someone else. He was the merged form of Ventus and Vanitas. His name: Venitas.

As he stood infront of the two heroes, an aura of darkness envelopes Venitas' body, changing Ventus' Keyblade Armor into Vanitas' bodysuit.

"Correct. I am not Ventus. His heart has become a part of mine now." Venitas says as he spoke in a mix of Ventus and Vanitas' voice

Venitas raises the X-blade into the air.

"This X-blade will open a door, one that leads to all worlds! Then, Keyblade-bearing warriors will flock here from each and every one of them, to battle for the light within Kingdom Hearts!" Venitas says

Venitas looks up at the heart-shaped moon with an evil smile on his face.

"And just like the legend says, the Keyblade War will begin!" Venitas says

"Shut up! We're sick of your nonsense! Give Ven his heart back!" Aqua says

With Mickey joining her side, Aqua stood ready as she prepared herself for a fight against Venitas to free Ventus from Vanitas' control.

( _Dive into the Heart_ )

Ventus awoke and found himself floating in mid-air. He lowers down and lands on an enormous, illuminated stained glass pillar. What he was actually standing on was in fact his heart which was split into two different images. Half of the pillar had Vanitas on one side with his Dark Keyblade drawn, while the other half had Ventus on the other side with his Keyblade drawn. Vanitas' side had an outer ring of symbols with the Unversed emblem while Ventus' side had the Mark of Mastery emblem. The background at their feet was the field of the Keyblade Graveyard which was filled with Keyblades.

Ventus turned around and saw Vanitas floating down and standing infront of him. In his right-hand was an incomplete version of the X-blade which was slightly covered with an aura of darkness. It also had chips in the side of the blade, part of the filigree on one side was gone, and part of the hilt is missing, making it look broken.

"Our union was not finished. The X-blade shouldn't stay broken like this. Join me now, and we can complete the X-blade!" Vanitas says

"I've got a better idea. How 'bout I destroy you both?" Ventus says summoning his Keyblade

Vanitas laughs after hearing Ventus say that.

"The X-blade is made out of your heart too, idiot! If you destroy it, your heart will vanish forever." Vanitas says

"Whatever it takes. Anything to save Terra, Aqua, Ducar, Shara, and Devon." Ventus says

"Hmph, it's always about your friends, isn't it?" Vanitas asks

"At least I have some! I've become a part of their heart, just as they've become a part of mine! My friends are my power and I'm theirs!" Ventus says

Having said that, Ventus stood ready as he prepared to fight Vanitas in an epic battle that would forever determine his fate.

Before the fight began, a blue aura enveloped Ventus' body, glowing with pure light. Six swords of light appeared, hovering behind Ventus' back in a wing-like formation, reminiscent of an angel's wings.

Vanitas struck first by rushing forward at Ventus with a spinning slash, swinging the X-blade around. Ventus leapt back, dodging the attack. Vanitas attacks again, whirling forward at Ventus with a downward slash and an uppercut. Ventus held up his Keyblade, blocking both blows. However, the uppercut knocked Ventus back, making him slide across the pillar.

"Show me anguish!" Vanitas says

Vanitas raises up the X-blade and began charging up an enormous amount of energy. As soon as he was fully charged, Vanitas leapt up and slammed the X-blade down, creating a shockwave which emitted an X-shaped pattern. Ventus jumps back, dodging the shockwave. Vanitas continued his attack with a rushing strike, spinning the X-blade infront of him, but Ventus rolled over to the left, evading the attack. Then, Vanitas leapt up and swung the X-blade, launching an X-shaped blast toward Ventus who instinctively leapt out of the way.

Now, it was his turn to strike. Ventus rushes forward at Vanitas and slashes him multiple times with the light swords, leaving behind an afterimage with each strike. He then struck Vanitas with a flurry of quick slashes whilst performing acrobatics. First, he whirls forward with six diagonal slashes, three left and three right. Next, he thrusts his Keyblade at Vanitas and follows up with six cross slashes. Then, he delivers six more slashes, three with a backflip and three with a somersault.

Both Ventus and Vanitas charge at each other and the two Keyblade Wielders clash. They both teleported back and forth, leaving behind afterimages of themselves, striking each other with multiple, quick slashes.

Vanitas rushes forward at Ventus while cloaked in an aura of darkness. Ventus stood where he was and held his Keyblade back, charging up an enormous amount of pure energy. Just as it seemed Vanitas was about to hit him, Ventus performs a powerful spinning attack, summoning multiple columns of light which hits Vanitas, sending him back.

Ventus rushes forward at Vanitas and slams into him with his light swords spinning around him. He then Afterwards, Ventus leaps up into the air and throws his light swords down into the ground, creating a circular magic emblem of light. He then lands in the center of the swords, causing a brilliant shockwave of light to blind Vanitas and inflict tremendous damage to him.

Vanitas was down on one knee leaning against the X-blade for support. He looked at Ventus who stood infront of him with a serious look on his face and stood up onto his feet.

"Playtime's over." Vanitas says

Vanitas leaps high up into the air and slammed the X-blade into the ground, shattering the pillar into pieces. Soon, Ventus and Vanitas were both hovering in nothingness, staring each other down.

"There's no escape!" Vanitas says

Vanitas made the first move, dashing forward at Ventus, spinning the X-blade infront of him. Ventus mimics the attack and the two Keyblade Wielders clash, catching them both in a power struggle. The two Keyblade Wielders began pushing each other. Ventus manages to gain the upperhand and lands a direct hit to Vanitas' chest, dishing out massive damage. Vanitas locks onto Ventus and points the X-blade at him. In that moment, three crystals of darkness appear in a trigram formation. These three crystals began to project rays that fused together. Then, the X-blade fires a giant dark blue beam of darkness at Ventus who mimics the attack and fires a giant gold beam of light at him. Both beams clash and began to push each other in another power struggle. Again, Ventus gains the upperhand and hits Vanitas dead on, leaving him dazed and stunned.

With Vanitas left weakened, Ventus charges at him and bounces around, striking him with his Keyblade, creating five intersecting columns of crystallized light that trapped him.

"It's over!" Ventus says

In that moment, Ventus flew down at Vanitas and finishes the fight with a final, powerful strike that knocked the X-blade out of Vanitas' hand.

The X-blade began to float away from Vanitas who tried to grab it. Vanitas reached for the ancient weapon with his hands, but the X-blade floated further away from him. to no avail. The X-blade soon shatters into pieces, becoming shards of light. Ventus' Keyblade also shatters into shards of light. Vanitas floated down toward the pillar and fades away in a bright light. Vanitas was now destroyed and with him followed the Unversed.

The pillar emitted a bright light as it started to change, taking on a new form. Soon, the light dimmed down and the pillar now had a new form. Similar to it's original appearance, the pillar now had an image of Ventus with some modifications. Ventus was now holding his Wayward Wind Keyblade and was wearing both his Keyblade Armor pauldron and his silver Mark of Mastery charm. The outer circle was now filled with the Mark of Mastery emblems and the inner circle was filled with the Wayfinders of his friends, signifying that he has regained control of his completed heart. The field of the Keyblade Graveyard which was at Ventus' feet was now empty.

Ventus held a smile on his face as he accepted his fate, fading away in a bright light. With his body now destroyed, Ventus' heart ascends into the endless darkness, followed by small wisps of light.

( _Meanwhile_ )

The battle between Aqua, Mickey, and Venitas had only just begun as the two Keyblade Wielders both attacked in unison.

Aqua struck first, bringing her Keyblade down on Venitas who raised up the X-blade in defense against the blow. She then attacked with three wide-sweeping slashes, but Venitas blocks against them as well. After blocking the last strike, Venitas shoves Aqua back and counters with a quick uppercut which knocked her back.

Mickey rushed to Aqua's aid and leapt forward at Venitas with a somersault, swinging his Keyblade down on him. Venitas blocked against Mickey's attack and countered with a reverse roundhouse slash. Luckily, Mickey jumps back to Aqua before he could get hit by the X-blade.

"Fools. Do you see how powerless you are? None of this can be changed!" Venitas says

Venitas stood in the center of the battlefield and began charging up with energy. Aqua and Mickey both rushed forward at Venitas to try and attack him while he was biding his time.

"Sleep forever!" Venitas says

As soon as he was fully charged, Venitas leapt up into the air just as the two Keyblade Wielders leapt forward to strike. He then stabs the X-blade into the ground, unleashing a massive burst of light in an X-shaped wave, sending Aqua and Mickey back.

Aqua gripped her Keyblade in her hand as she began to glow with a white aura. Several wisps of light began to emanate from her body as well. Within moments, she rushes forward at Venitas while he stood ready for whatever she had planned for him. When she reaches him, Aqua teleports away, much to Venitas surprise.

"What?!" Venitas says baffled

Aqua reappeared behind Venitas and struck him with a fierce blow just as he turned around, knocking him back. She follows up with several slashes while teleporting, striking Venitas in multiple directions. She then warps around Venitas, placing spikes of energy from every angle until he was surrounded. Soon enough, the energy was released, creating a powerful shockwave which sent Venitas flying back.

Aqua and Mickey move in and both hit Venitas with several spinning slashes. Then, they stand back-to-back with their Keyblades extended and spin around, creating a shower of lights which sends Venitas back.

Venitas lands crouched down on his feet and looks at the two Keyblade Wielders with an angry look on his face, letting out a growl.

"Suffer!" Venitas says

With that said, Venitas leaps up into the air and swings the X-blade with a right-slash, sending several bolts of blue lightning down toward Aqua and Mickey who both jump out of the way, dodging the attack. As soon as his feet touches the ground, Venitas dashes toward the two heroes in an attempt to strike them with the X-blade. Aqua and Mickey both saw the incoming attack and they both leapt out of the way. Venitas came back again and continued to strike with the X-blade, dashing toward the two heroes several times while they evaded the attack as best as they could.

Aqua and Mickey charge toward Venitas for another attack, but he looks at them with an evil grin on his face.

"And now, the end!" Venitas says

Venitas swipes the X-blade infront of him with a right-slash, creating a powerful gust of wind which blew the two Keyblade Wielders back. Aqua was thrown against a large rock spire and fell to the ground while Mickey was sent rolling back. Venitas walked over to the small ledge and looked down at the female Keyblade Master, taunting her.

"What's wrong? Giving up already?" Venitas taunts

Aqua takes out her Wayfinder and looks down at it.

"Ven, Terra, Ducar, lend me strength." Aqua says

Suddenly, Aqua's Wayfinder emitted a faint light for a brief moment, as if answering to her prayer. Then, Aqua noticed her Keyblade began to glow with pure light, much to her surprise. In that moment, Aqua found her inner strength and she jumps up to her feet, charging toward Venitas.

"You're just wasting your energy!" Venitas says

Aqua and Venitas both swing their Keyblades and clash, creating a powerful shockwave. Venitas gave Aqua a smirk while she pushes with all her might. Giving one good push, she manages to destroy the X-blade, much to Venitas' surprise.

"What?" Venitas says baffled

Aqua shoved Venitas back, knocking him down to the ground unconscious. The X-blade flew up into the air and emitted a bright light. Then, it began to erupt with beams of light flying around in all directions. Mickey looks up and gasped when he saw the X-blade wreaking havoc.

"Oh no! It... it's gone haywire!" Mickey exclaims

Aqua shields herself from the X-blade. She looks toward Ventus and saw that he had reverted back to his former self.

"Ven!" Aqua cries out

Aqua tries to get to Ventus, but the beams of light from the X-blade prevented her from reaching him. While this was going on, Shara soon regains consciousness and quickly notices the chaos happening infront of her. She then looks over to her right and saw Devon lying unconscious on the ground.

"Devon!" Shara cries out

Shara immediately rises onto her feet and runs off toward her son. At the same time, the X-blade explodes in a ball of light, sending Ventus and Devon flying. Aqua rushes off toward Ventus. Aqua and Shara both jump up toward Ventus and Devon. Aqua manages to grab hold of Ventus' hand and Shara manages to grab hold of her son's hand. The explosion of light began to grow in size. Shara, Aqua and Mickey scream as they were consumed by the explosion.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Up at the top of the rock pillar, the Lingering Will had emerged victorious as Terranort laid unconscious on his back infront of him. As it stood there, a long, flowing cape appears on the back of the Lingering Will as a mark of it's victory. Unable to reclaim his body for now, the animated armor thrusts its Keyblade into the ground and kneels down infront of it. The explosion from the X-blade rose up from the edge of the rock pillar and it consumed Terranort, whisking him away elsewhere. As the light began to consume it, Terra's Lingering Will thought about the five people closest to his heart: Aqua, Ventus, Ducar, Shara, and Devon. Soon, the light cleared and only the Lingering Will was all that remained in the Keyblade Graveyard, deeming him the sole survivor. The clouds overhead slowly began to cover Kingdom Hearts, plunging the Keyblade Graveyard into darkness. The Lingering Will was now all alone in the barren wasteland, but it made a silent promise.

 _"Aqua, Ven, Ducar, Shara, Devon... One day, I will set this right."_

* * *

 **Author's Note:** At long last, this is it! The epic chapter everyone has been waiting for! All five heroes arrive in the Keyblade Graveyard to settle the score between Lord Thanatos, Master Xehanort, and Vanitas. But they also work to save Devon from his terrible fate. The five heroes clash against the three villains in an epic battle. Everyone fights their respective enemy. Terra Vs Master Xehanort. Ventus Vs Vanitas. Ducar and Shara Vs Lord Thanatos. Aqua and Mickey Vs Venitas. Lingering Will Vs Terranort. Pure epicness everywhere! In the end, the battles have been won! The X-blade has been destroyed! Vanitas was destroyed along with the Unversed. Even Terranort was defeated. But what has happened to Ducar? More importantly, what has happened to Shara, Aqua, Mickey, Ventus and Devon? Anyone care to guess what will happen to Ducar? Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	34. Believe in the Light

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Lanes Between_ )

Shara, Aqua, Ventus, and Devon were all drifting in the Lanes Between, all unconscious. Aqua was holding Ventus' hand while Shara floated alongside them, holding her son's hand. Mickey floats over to them, offering them company. But he was not alone. With him was The Inheritor riding his beloved dragoness, Vervada in his shimmering Keyblade Armor, both of whom were glowing with a dazzling aura of pure light.

The Inheritor and Mickey looked at each other and nodded. The Inheritor pulled out the Star Shard and held it up in his left-hand, causing it to shine with a bright light, taking the group back to safety of The Celestial Temple.

( _Elsewhere_ )

Ventus found himself falling into the endless darkness. But then, a bright, warm light shined infront of him, welcoming him.

 _"This place... I've been here. So warm... I remember now. This is your heart."_

( _The Celestial Temple_ )

Shara and Aqua slowly regain consciousness and they found themselves inside the Celestial Archive.

"Where are we?" Aqua asks

 _ **"You are back within the sanctuary of my temple."**_ A familiar voice says

The two female Keyblade Masters looked over to their left and saw Master Yen Sid and the Inheritor approach them.

 ** _"Aqua, Shara, you both lost consciousness after your battles in the Keyblade Graveyard. Fortunately, Mickey, Vervada and I found you, Ventus and Devon drifting in the Lanes Between, and we brought you back here to receive proper care."_** The Inheritor says

Aqua and Shara looked over to their left and saw Ventus and Devon laying against Vervada's warm belly, resting peacefully. Ventus sat up against the white dragoness with his head down while Devon laid his back against her smooth scales.

"What about Terra and Ducar?" Shara asks

The Inheritor closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment before answering.

 ** _"I am sorry to say, but there was no sign of Terra or Ducar. Nor have I been able to sense their presence."_ ** The Inheritor says

"I see." Shara says

Shara and Aqua were both disheartened to hear this. They soon crawled over to the two sleeping boys and tried to wake them up.

"Ven! Ventus!" Aqua says shaking Ventus' right-shoulder

"Devon! Devon!" Shara says shaking Devon's left-shoulder

 ** _"Their hearts are sleeping."_** The Inheritor says

"When will they wake?" Aqua asks

 ** _"Devon's heart was put into a comatose state thanks to Lord Thanatos. We were very fortunate that Lord Thanatos decided to spare his life. But I cannot say as to when he will awaken. Could be days, weeks, months, even years."_** The Inheritor says

Shara and Aqua were shocked to hear this. It was like history was repeating itself. They remember when Ventus was in a comatose state when he first arrived at the Land of Departure. It took him a couple of weeks at least to awaken from his state. And with Lord Thanatos with his terrible dark powers, who knows how long Devon would stay in his coma.

"But what about Ventus?" Shara asks

The Inheritor closes his eyes and looks down.

 ** _"I could not say. It's almost as if his heart has left him. Should it return, he will most likely awaken from his slumber. If not, I fear Ventus will be doomed to remain trapped in slumber for all eternity."_ ** The Inheritor says

Aqua was very upset to hear this. Shara also felt the same way. She was relieved that they were able to save Devon from the same fate as Ventus, but she also felt bad that Ventus would remain trapped in slumber.

"No..." Aqua says

"Devon..." Shara says

The two women looked down in despair, but they soon found their strength as they promised to keep them safe under their protection.

"Don't worry. We'll keep them safe until they both wake up. Forever if we have to." Shara says

 _ **"I shall tell you what Ventus and Devon needs right now. It is not your protection. They need you to believe. You see, their hearts hang in the balance, sleeping between light and darkness. From all I can perceive, that means they will both be looking for a friend, one who believes in them, to show them the way home. Just as long as you love them... then Ventus and Devon will be able to find you when they awaken. They can follow that love back to where it belongs... the Realm of Light."** _ The Inheritor says

Mickey smiled and looked at the two female Keyblade Masters.

"Don't worry, Aqua. I believe in Ven, too. Gosh, he's been a good friend to me as anybody." Mickey says

Mickey then looked over at Shara.

"And don't you worry, Shara. I'm sure Devon will wake up. If we all believe in them with all of our hearts... then they'll both have three lights to follow instead of one." Mickey says

"Five lights." Aqua says

"Right! Terra and Ducar." Shara says

"But... Terra and Ducar's gone. Maybe... for good." Mickey says

"I think I might know a way to find them." Aqua says

"Our Wayfinders." Shara says

Shara and Aqua take out their Wayfinders and look down at them.

"If you both believe you can bring Terra and Ducar back, you may try." Vervada says

 ** _"Aqua, Shara, take Ventus with you and bring him to somewhere safe. We shall watch over your son, Shara. Right now, your son is our only hope for the future of the Universe. He will be safe with us. Ventus must be taken elsewhere. I bid you safe travel and pray that you return safely. May the light of Kingdom Hearts protect you."_ ** The Inheritor says

The two women both stood straight up and prepared themselves to leave. Shara looked at her son with a worried look on her face. Vervada saw the worried expression on Shara's face and gave her some words of comfort.

"Don't worry, Shara. I'll look after Devon. I'll take care of him as if he was one of my own son." Vervada says

Shara looked up at Vervada with a smile on her face. She knew that her son would be safe with the white dragoness protecting him. And to be honest, she felt a warm feeling in her heart seeing the small boy resting against the gentle dragoness.

"Thank you, Vervada." Shara says

Aqua grabs Ventus and carries him on her back. As the two women leave the room, Vervada nuzzles against Devon as he rested against her warm belly. Aqua and Shara exit the Celestial Temple and stood outside.

"Ven needs a safe place." Aqua says

"Right. He can't stay with my son. Lord Thanatos will be after both of them." Shara says

Suddenly, Ventus' right-hand began to twitch. He then stretches his hand out and summons his Keyblade which shoots a beam of light from it's tip and opens up a portal of light. The two women gasped in surprise as they saw this, but smiled regardless.

"All right. If that's where you want to go." Aqua says

Having said that, Aqua and Shara carry Ventus into the portal of light.

( _Elsewhere_ )

When they reach the other side, they were utterly shocked by what they saw. They found their home, The Land of Departure covered in darkness. Pieces of land floated adrift in the void of darkness. The two female Keyblade Masters looked on the ground and saw Master Eraqus' Keyblade lying infront of them.

"The Master's Keyblade." Shara gasps

Shara walks over and kneels down, picking up her master's Keyblade. As they looked upon their master's Keyblade, Shara and Aqua both remembered their conversation with Master Eraqus before their journey began.

 _"Of course, we will never let that happen. We promise we'll bring Terra and Ducar back... Only this time, you'll see they have what it takes to be Keyblade Masters."_

 _"They're not as weak as you think."_

Shara and Aqua carry Ventus and Master Eraqus' Keyblade into the castle. Eventually, they reach the throne room where the thought of another conversation entered their minds.

 _"Aqua. Shara."_

 _"Yes?"_

 _"Now that you two are Masters, there is one secret in particular you must know. Should anything happen to me, and you find the legion of darkness at our doorstep... I ask that you take my Keyblade and use it to lock this land away."_

 _"What?"_

Aqua sets Ventus down on one of the thrones and walks over to Shara's side. Shara steps in behind the chair Ventus sat in and held Master Eraqus' Keyblade in her hand.

 _"Generations of Keyblade Masters have been charged with keeping this land safe. Light and Darkness exist in balance here, and there are those who would abuse such neutral ground. This is why our predecessors devised a certain trick."_

A Keyhole appears behind the center throne. Shara aimed the Keyblade toward the Keyhole and a beam of light shoots out from the tip, sealing away the keyhole.

 _"Just use this key, and this land will be transformed. From that day forward, all who visit this land will be lost to oblivion, none able to solve the mystery. None, except the two of you."_

A bright light envelopes the entire area, changing the land and the castle. When the light dims down, The Land of Departure was transformed into Castle Oblivion. Shara and Aqua look around amazed. The room they stood in now was named Chamber of Waking. Mark of Mastery symbols decorated the walls and doors of the room. Shara and Aqua turned around and looked at Ventus as he sat in the chair in his peaceful slumber. Aqua bends down and rubbed her right-hand on Ventus' head.

"I know it's a lonely place, but you'll be safe. Terra, Ducar, Shara, and I will be back to wake you up before you know it." Aqua says

Shara bends down and placed her left-hand on Ventus' face over his right-cheek.

"Be safe, Ven." Shara says

Having said that, Shara and Aqua both leave Castle Oblivion. Once outside, they both turn to look at the now transformed castle.

Castle Oblivion was set on a large piece of land with rough stalagmites sprouting from the ground. The castle's architecture was very remarkable with its tower's tops resembling an interesting isosceles triangle, and a noticeable monster with horns on the center of the castle. Two smaller parts of the castle, lying on floating islands was joined to the main structure by chains.

As Aqua and Shara stood and admired the architecture of the castle, they both heard Terra and Ducar's voices.

 _"Aqua... Put an end to me..."_

 _"Shara... Help me... End my suffering..."_

Aqua and Shara look off into the distance, reacting to the voices of their two friends.

"Terra, tell us where to find you." Aqua says

"Ducar, please tell us where you are." Shara says

Aqua and Shara both walked away from their once glorious home as their minds were now focused on finding Terra and Ducar. They switched into their Keyblade Armor and took off on their Keyblade Gliders as their search for their two friends began.

( _Elsewhere_ )

Young Devon found himself within the far reaches of his mind surrounded by darkness. He was all alone and helpless. Devon was very scared and began looking left and right to find his parents.

"Mom! Dad! Where are you?! Where am I?!" Devon says

His voice echoed far out into the darkness with no one answering back.

"Please! I want to go home!" Devon says

Devon sat on the ground and wrapped his arms around himself, cradling back and forth, crying. Suddenly, Devon saw a bright light shine through the darkness infront of him. The feeling of fear and despair that had gripped Devon's heart was now replaced with astonishment and amazement. Drying his tears, the young boy stood up and watched as the light got closer and closer to him. The light began to dim down as it changed into a small, glowing, blue luminous star. Devon soon heard a calm, male voice speak to him.

 _"Poor child. There is no need to fear. I will guide you."_

Devon reached out to hold the star and it hovered in his hands. Devon admired the star's beautiful glow as it reflected in his eyes.

 _"Let the light of this star fill your heart. It will soothe your soul."_

Devon felt the warm light from the star and it was very comforting as he felt a wave of calmness flow through his body.

 _"You were cast into the darkness by an evil force, left all alone and helpless. But I will help show you the way back home to your loved ones."_

The star floated out of Devon's hands and it flew ahead of him at a slow pace.

 _"Follow the light, young one. It will guide you back to your world."_

Devon nodded in acknowledgement and he followed the light as it led him through the darkness, hopefully towards home.

* * *

 **Author's note:** After the intense battles in the Keyblade Graveyard, Shara, Aqua, Ventus, and Devon were brought to the safety of the Celestial Temple where the Inheritor looks after them. Later on, they head out to bring Ventus somewhere safe while Devon remains at the Celestial Temple until his mother returns. The two women return to the Land of Departure to find it in ruins. They change the castle, turning it into Castle Oblivion. Now, they head out in search of Terra and Ducar. Where will their search take them? Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	35. Lord Drazor, The Dark Knight

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Realm of Darkness_ )

Somewhere within the deepest, darkest depths of the Realm of Darkness stood a massive complex of black buildings which housed a gigantic, dark, evil palace. It's name: The Palace of Shadows.

The Palace of Shadows was built of black granite stone, surrounded by multiple massive towers of darkness and it stood extremely high on an unimaginable scale of over thousands of feet reaching up into the endless sky. The Palace of Shadows stood in the midst of a large, treacherous, dark city. The dark palace was as silent as a graveyard and it gave off an unholy, evil dark light. The entire building was enveloped and surrounded in shadow, but it could still be seen by it's ominous dark blue light. The walls and towers had many windows, but they were all unlit and revealed nothing of the unspeakable horrors within. The Palace of Shadows was billions of years old and has existed since the dawn of time and the birth of the Universe. It is here in this evil dark palace that the Dark Lord of the Shadows resides and rules over the Realm of Darkness where all beings of evil and darkness dwell.

Overhead, the sky was pitch black filled with dark clouds which no light could penetrate. Dark blue lightning illuminated the skies with their ominous light from the evil clouds. Also in the sky was a black sun that emitted an blood-red aura of pure evil which made it's form visible in the dark realm.

The interior of the evil palace was of horror on a completely different scale. The floor was made of black marble. The walls were that of black metal. Black lanterns were planted along the walls and hung above the ceilings with black candles that burned with dark blue flames, illuminating the palace with it's ominous light. Disturbing, unholy, demonic, ghostly wails, shrieks, and screams could be heard all throughout every inch of this demented place. There was even a few traces of blood stains which was splattered and smeared along the walls and on the floor.

The Palace of Shadows had many rooms on different levels and dozens of deadly traps.

In the lower levels was the Dark Prison, a large dungeon that contained the skeletons of the poor, unfortunate souls who had been taken prisoner, tortured by the Dark Lord's cruelty, and left for dead. There was also the Armory where weapons and armor was forged, and the Soul Chamber which had a gigantic black skull harboring the souls of countless people whom the Dark Lord had captured and doomed into endless torture. The souls spun within the skull's open mouth in a dark blue swirl of darkness, each emitting an eerie moan.

In the upper levels was The Dark Lord's Throne Room, and the Haunted Archive where dozens of dark records and spell books were kept.

Inside the Dark Prison stood Lord Thanatos admiring his claimed prize. Bound by his wrists and feet to a cold metal table was Ducar being prepared for his dark transformation. His chest was left exposed, and his gauntlets and boots were removed, exposing his bare hands and feet. Also, his jacket and shirt was torn to pieces with the shreds scattered across the floor. Even his broken pauldrons was on the floor along with the scattered pieces of armor.

Around Lord Thanatos stood hideous dark creatures that had black mottled skin and glowing red or blue eyes. Some of them wore terrifying skull masks with long, downward horns. These demonic creatures were known as the Bando Gora. They were an evil cult that belonged to another world, in a galaxy far, far away. They once served another master until The Dark Lord and Lord Thanatos found them and made them servants to their evil empire.

 **"WELCOME, DUCAR, TO THE PALACE OF SHADOWS. HERE, THE DARKNESS IS AT IT'S HIGHEST AND WHERE OUR POWER IS INFINITE. WE WILL CHANGE YOU, DUCAR. YOUR THOUGHTS SHALL BLACKEN. YOUR SKIN TURN PALE. AND YOUR SOUL SHALL GROW DARK."** Lord Thanatos says

Ducar tried to fight against the bonds in order to free himself, but his efforts was futile. There would be no escaping his fate.

 **"THERE IS NO ESCAPING YOUR FATE, DUCAR. WE SHALL NOW TURN YOU INTO US. IT IS TIME FOR THE DARKNESS IN YOUR HEART TO TAKE CONTROL."** Lord Thanatos says

Ducar looked up and saw dozens of blood-encrusted mechanical arms and tools looming above him. There was saw blades, needles, hooks, drills, and many other menacing tools all of which would be used on Ducar. Each of the mechanics was razor sharp and very cruel looking. For the first time in his life, Ducar felt fear in his heart as it pounded frantically in his chest. Lord Thanatos smiled as he saw the fear in Ducar's eyes.

 **"LET US BEGIN."** Lord Thanatos says

And sure enough, the horrific surgery began. Ducar was kept wide-awake and unanesthesized throughout the whole procedure. He screamed and writhed in agonizing pain as armored plates were painfully grafted into his body, drilled deep into his flesh and bone. Ducar's body was soon encased in dark armor. And now came the finishing touch. A mask lowered down to Ducar's face and clicked into place on the metal plate on his head, emitting a sharp hiss.

Soon, the evil surgery was finally complete and Lord Thanatos marveled at his divine creation. The darkness had finally taken Ducar. The Ducar that Ventus, Terra, Aqua, Shara and Devon knew was no more. He was now Lord Drazor, The Dark Knight, Lord Thanatos' apprentice and his personal assassin.

Lord Drazor wore a skin-tight jet black bodysuit, which featured a set of flexible ribbed armor plates. He also wore tight black garments, full-shoulder pauldrons, a black, flowing, floor-length cape which was connected to the upper seam of the armor, a helmet that covered his entire head, and a series of leather belts around the waist. The helmet had a T-bar black visor which concealed his face, a vertical rectangular-shaped grill with an open split going down the center acting as a mouth, and an outwards slanting metal plate attached that protected the rear and sides of the neck. The armor also included a breathing apparatus which was controlled by the wearer. The breathing pattern was forced and eclectic. On his hands were black gauntlets that went up his forearms. These gauntlets featured a set of artificial metal claws which were attached to the fingertips and were sharp enough to tear through flesh. The elbows had three sharp spikes protruding from them and a long razor blade which ran along the back of his forearms. Lord Drazor also wore a black ragged, floor-length combat skirt around his waist. Finally, embedded on his chest was a dark red triangular shaped heartstone which was a mark of dark evil. His overall appearance was designed to inspire intimidation and great fear into any enemy.

"He is finished, master." One of the Bando Gora hisses

 **"EXCELLENT."** Lord Thanatos says

The metal table slowly raised up and tilted forward, setting Lord Drazor straight. The Dark Keyblade Wielder hung his head over as the metal table stood straight up.

 **"AT LAST, THE DARKNESS IS YOUR ALLY. IT'S POWER NOW RUNS DEEP WITHIN YOU. THE KEYBLADE WIELDER, DUCAR IS NO MORE. HENCEFORTH, YOU SHALL BE KNOWN AS LORD DRAZOR, THE DARK KNIGHT. LET THOSE WHO STAND BEFORE YOU TREMBLE IN FEAR OF YOUR DARK POWER AND YOUR PRESENCE. LET DEATH AND DESTRUCTION BE LEFT IN YOUR WAKE. TOGETHER, WE SHALL RULE THE UNIVERSE AT THE DARK LORD'S SIDE FOR ALL TIME. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Drazor raised his head and looked up at his master. Using his tremendous strength, the Dark Keyblade Wielder broke free of his bonds and kneeled before Lord Thanatos.

"Yes, my master..." Lord Drazor says in a robotic voice

 **"VERY GOOD... RISE."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Drazor rises to his feet, obeying his master's command.

 **"COME. IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO MEET YOUR SUPREME RULER."** Lord Thanatos says

( _Moments later_ )

Lord Thanatos and Lord Drazor walked through the dark hallways of the evil palace. They soon came upon a tall black door which was intricately designed to strike fear into all who laid eyes upon it. The door had three illuminated stained-glass windows, one on the top in the shape of a triangle, and two tall diamond-shaped ones on the door itself. All three had black background with red and grey shaded diamonds decorating them. The top window was decorated with a black sun that had beams of darkness erupting from it.

The two made their way through the door as it opened with a creaking sound and entered the Dark Lord's Throne Room which was a massive hall lined with skull-covered columns. At the end of the hall, up a collection of stairs, the Dark Lord of the Shadows himself sat on his tall, black throne gazing out at the Realm of Darkness, looking down at the rest of his fortress below and the surrounding environment through a large, circular window lined with a web-like framework. Two black lanterns were lit alongside the throne, burning with a dark blue flame. Laying alongside the evil demon was his pet black dragon, Ragnarok who raised his head straight up, looking down at the visitors with his reptilian eyes. The evil being immediately sensed the presence of his faithful dark servant, not to mention his creation as his demonic, red eyes darted to the right.

 _ **"LoRd ThAnAtOs."**_ The Dark Lord says

 **"MI LORD... I COME BEFORE YOU WITH A GIFT. I DELIVER TO YOU A FINE SERVANT FOR YOUR EMPIRE."** Lord Thanatos says

The Dark Lord spun his throne around and gazed down at the two Dark Keyblade Wielders. As he did, he stroked his right-hand on Ragnarok's head going down the back of his neck, making the black dragon purr with content.

 _ **"ThE DaRk OrDeR hAs MaNy SeRvAnTs... InClUdInG yOu. NoW I gAvE yOu ExPlIcIt OrDeRs. I oRdErEd YoU tO kIlL tHe SoN oF ShArA aNd DuCaR aNd BrInG mE tHe BoY's HeArT."**_ The Dark Lord says

 **"I SWEAR TO YOU, MI LORD, I WILL DELIVER YOU THE BOY'S HEART AS PROMISED. BUT PLEASE ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE TO YOU YOUR NEWEST SERVANT."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos gestures his right-hand to Lord Drazor kneels before the Dark Lord, acknowledging his supreme master.

 **"I PRESENT TO YOU: LORD DRAZOR, THE DARK KNIGHT. YOUR TOOL FOR DESTRUCTION. HE WAS THE BOY'S FATHER, DUCAR, WHO HAD AN INCREDIBLE DARK POWER HELD BACK WITHIN THE CONFINES OF HIS HEART. NOW, THE DARKNESS HAS ALL BUT BLACKENED HIS SOUL, MAKING HIM OUR ETERNAL SERVANT. I BELIEVE HIS DARKNESS WOULD BE BEST SUITED TO SERVE OUR CAUSE. AND WHAT BETTER WAY THAN TO DESTROY THE ONES HE LOVES THE MOST: HIS WIFE AND CHILD."** Lord Thanatos says

The Dark Lord turned his throne toward the window and thought to himself. He felt that Lord Drazor would make a fine servant for his empire. A fallen father killing his own wife and child in cold blood. Seeing that vision play out in his wicked mind made a sinister grin form on the evil god's face. He spun his throne around and looked down at his two servants.

 ** _"HmM... Very WeLl, LoRd ThAnAtOs. I wIlL fOrGiVe YoU fOr ThIs TrAnSgReSsIoN. PeRaHpS tHe BoY's FaThEr MaY pRoVe UsEfUl To Us._** _ **ThE tWo KeYbLaDe WiElDeRs, ShArA aNd AqUa ArE tRaVeLiNg To RaDiEnT GaRdEn In SeArCh Of ThEiR dEaR fRiEnDs. ThE hEaRtS oF TeRrA aNd DuCaR hAvE rEaChEd OuT tO tHeM. I aLsO sEnSe XeHaNoRt Is ThErE. A tErRiBlE fAtE aWaItS tHeM."**_ The Dark Lord says

The evil god turns his gaze toward the Dark Keyblade Wielder.

 _ **"LoRd DrAzOr, Go FoRtH tO RaDiEnT GaRdEn AnD dEsTrOy ThE tWo KeYbLaDe WiElDeRs. ShOw ThEm YoUr DaRk PoWeR."**_ The Dark Lord says

"As you wish, my master." Lord Drazor says

Having said that, Lord Drazor stretches his right-hand out, opens a dark corridor, and disappears into the darkness with his mission: Kill Shara and Aqua.

While Lord Drazor went off to carry out his mission, Lord Thanatos remained in the Dark Lord's Throne Room as his master spoke to him.

 _ **"LoRd ThAnAtOs... I sEe ThAt YoU hAvE mAdE a FiNe SeRvAnT oF LoRd DrAzOr, BuT I dO sEnSe A sMaLl FrAgMeNt Of HiS lIgHt ShInInG iN hIs HeArT. We MuSt EnSuRe ThAt ThE fAtHeR oF tHe KeYbLaDe'S ChOsEn OnE nEvEr ReTuRnS."** _ The Dark Lord says

 **"I ASSURE YOU, MI LORD, LORD DRAZOR WILL COMPLETE HIS TASK. HIS DARKNESS IS STRONG AND HIS LIGHT IS WEAK. DUCAR WILL NEVER RETURN TO THE REALM OF LIGHT."** Lord Thanatos says

 ** _"We ShAlL sEe..._ _We ShAlL sEe..."_** The Dark Lord says

* * *

 **Author's note:** A new evil is born! In the Realm of Darkness, Ducar has finally turned to the Dark Side and has now become Lord Drazor, The Dark Knight, and Lord Thanatos' evil servant. It's time to unleash his dark power to the world! His targets: Shara and Aqua! Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	36. Hearts of Darkness

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Lanes Between_ )

Aqua and Shara were traveling in the Lanes Between on their Keyblade Gliders when they saw Radiant Garden covered in darkness. Figuring that was where Terra and Ducar would be, they began to head there immediately.

( _Radiant Garden_ )

Aqua and Shara arrived in the courtyard and they both saw Terranort who looked blankfully up at the sky.

"There's Terra." Aqua says

The two female Keyblade Wielders made their way over and saw that Terra appeared different. The first thing that caught their eye was his silver hair which was a dead giveaway.

"Terra?" Aqua says feeling confused

"Wait... Something's not right." Shara says

Terranort looks down at the two women with his orange eyes, appearing as though he was in a trance-like state. He reaches out and grabs Shara and Aqua with both hands, choking them in his grip. As he held them high off the ground, an aura of darkness began to envelope Terranort's body.

"Who... am I?" Terranort asks

"Such a... terrible... darkness... Fight it, Terra, please!" Aqua says

"Terra... it's us... your friends... Aqua... and Shara!" Shara says

"Terra... you say?" Terranort says

Terranort drops Shara and Aqua and grabs his head, grunting in pain. He soon stops and lets out a sigh.

"Terra's heart has been extinguished... smothered by the darkness within him!" Terranort says

Terranort summoned his Dark Keyblade into his right-hand and raises it into the air. He cleaves it down toward the two women who instinctively jump back, avoiding the attack. The female Keyblade Masters stood up and looked at their possessed friend with serious looks on their faces.

"My name is Master Aqua."

"And I am Master Shara."

Aqua and Shara both summoned their Keyblades and they got into battle stance.

"Now return our friend's heart or pay the price!" Aqua says

Before anyone could make a move, a dark corridor appears in the courtyard between Shara, Aqua, and Terranort. When the dark corridor disappears, a dark figure stood before the two women. It was the Dark Keyblade Wielder, Lord Drazor who stood up straight and glared at the two female Keyblade Masters. From the moment they laid eyes on him, Shara and Aqua both felt slightly afraid of Lord Drazor.

"Who are you?" Shara asks

"I am Lord Drazor, the Dark Knight, your worst nightmare."

Lord Drazor stretches his right-hand out to his side and summoned his Dark Keyblade in a flash of darkness. This Dark Keyblade was known as Fear's Shadow.

Fear's Shadow was a Keyblade of Darkness that was made to have a menacing appearance and strike fear into any enemy. The blade was long and cruel decorated with glowing red lines. The shaft of the blade was black with a faded silver border along its edges, and ends with a very sharp edge. The handle was smooth and black, surrounded by a roughly rectangular guard. The guard was predominantly black, though it fades into dark red toward the base of the blade, and it had three pointed spikes on each of it's corners. The head of the blade was decorated by five black diamond-shaped spikes, which also form the teeth. An eye of darkness was also set in the head of the blade. On the bottom of the black hilt of the Keyblade was a red oval crystal gem. The keychain was a black human-shaped skull with vampire-like teeth.

"I am fear. I am death. I am darkness incarnate. Now, prepare to meet your end!" Lord Drazor says

Lord Drazor leaps forward at Shara and Aqua and swings his Dark Keyblade down at them. The two women both leapt away, dodging the attack. Terranort saw this and a sinister smile crept upon his face. He walked up to Lord Drazor and stood alongside him on his right-side. The two villains nodded at each other as they both shared the same goal: To destroy the two Keyblade Wielders that stood before them. Shara and Aqua stood fast and they both prepared themselves for an epic fight Terranort and Lord Drazor.

Terranort made the first move as he charges at Shara and Aqua with his body cloaked in darkness and thrusts his Dark Keyblade at them. The two women immediately jump out of the way, leaping over to the sides, making Terranort miss them. Although his attack missed, the possessed Keyblade Wielder managed to split the two women apart from each other.

Terranort aimed his Dark Keyblade at Aqua and launches a volley of dark blasts at her. Seeing the incoming attack, Aqua held her Keyblade vertically out infront of her and encases herself in a spherical barrier of light. The dark blasts hit the barrier and bounce off, leaving Aqua unharmed.

Terranort moved in and attacked with a fast and furious flurry of slashes, using both his Dark Keyblade and his free hand to attack. Aqua leaned her body away, dodging each blow that was thrown at her. The possessed Keyblade Wielder stretched his left-hand forward at Aqua, materializing a large hand of dark red and purple energy to claw at her, but she leapt back, evading the attack. Terranort gave Aqua a smirk and sunk into the ground, disappearing from sight. Aqua saw a small pool of dark energy on the ground traveling straight toward her. Aqua braced herself as the dark pool advanced toward her. Within moments, Terranort jumps out from the ground, materializing the hand again straight up into the air. Reacting quickly, Aqua manages to jump back, evading Terranort's attack.

Now, it was her turn to attack. Aqua rushes forward at Terranort while cloaked in a spherical magic barrier of light and slams into him with a direct hit at his chest. Upon impact, the barrier unleashes a spray of light as it disperses, inflicting even more damage. Terranort was thrown back by the light and was left stunned for a brief moment.

As she stood there, Aqua began to glow with a bright blue aura. With the power of light flowing through her, Aqua hurls her Keyblade at Terranort through telekinesis, hitting him four times. Next, she fires an orb of light from the tip of her Keyblade, sending it straight at Terranort. Upon impact, the orb of light condenses and explodes in a flash of light, knocking Terranort back even further. Aqua teleports up above Terranort and dives down on him multiple times, generating giant pillars of light which damages him even more. Then, Aqua performs a magical spinning attack, landing multiple hits to Terranort. Finally, Aqua finishes her assault by raising her Keyblade into the air, summoning a large column of light which sends Terranort back.

Terranort slid back across the ground, eventually skidding to a stop. He looked up at Aqua and growled in anger. He rose up on his feet and brought his Dark Keyblade to his side, getting into battle stance. Aqua brought her Keyblade close to her side and got into battle stance as her battle with Terranort continued.

While Aqua fought off against Terranort, Shara was left to contend with Lord Drazor.

Lord Drazor began walking toward Shara with his Dark Keyblade ready. He then started moving faster and faster until he was running straight toward the female Keyblade Master. Shara held her Keyblade close to her right-side as she braced herself. Within moments, Lord Drazor raises his Dark Keyblade over his head for an overhead strike, but Shara blocks the attack with her Keyblade, holding it up in defense. The two Keyblade Wielders began exchanging blows with each other, attacking with fast speed and fierce strength.

Lord Drazor lunges his Keyblade at Shara, but she jumps over to the right, dodging the blow. She spins around and swings her Keyblade, aiming for Lord Drazor's back, but he holds his Dark Keyblade behind his back without even looking. He then kicks Shara in the stomach with his right-foot, making her lurch forward and stumble backwards. Lord Drazor whirls around and swings his Dark Keyblade at Shara with a right-slash. Shara quickly brought up her Keyblade to defend herself, but the fierce blow knocked her back, sending her sliding back across the ground.

Lord Drazor rushes forward and cleaves his Dark Keyblade down on Shara who raised up her Keyblade in defense against the blow. Lord Drazor follows up with two left and right slashes, then strikes with a spinning slash. Shara blocked against the first two blows, then ducked down to avoid the third. Lord Drazor rolls over to the right and jumps up to his feet with an upwards spiral. Shara jumps back and evades the attack. Shara tries to deliver a reverse roundhouse kick with her right-foot, but Lord Drazor ducks down, dodging the attack.

Continuing his assault, Lord Drazor leaps forward at Shara and swings his Dark Keyblade down, but Shara leaps over to the right, causing him to miss. Lord Drazor spun around and swinged his Dark Keyblade at Shara with a reverse roundhouse slash. Shara dodges the attack by leaning her whole body back. The Dark Keyblade missed her neck by mere inches. Shara backflips away from Lord Drazor and stood a few feet away from him.

Shara could not believe how powerful this Dark Keyblade Wielder was. She was already sweating, yet Lord Drazor hardly seemed to be tired from their intense battle. Whoever he was, he had incredible reflexes and durability. Drawing her Keyblade to her side, Shara stood strong as she continued her fight with Lord Drazor.

Back with Aqua, she thrust her Keyblade at Terranort who knocks it away with a swing of his Dark Keyblade, making her flinch.

"Fool." Terranort says

Terranort slams his Dark Keyblade into the ground, creating a shockwave which sent Aqua back. As the battle escalated, the courtyard was surrounded by darkness, enveloping the whole area.

"I will guide you to the depths of darkness." Terranort says

An aura of darkness began to envelope Terranort's body as he crosses his arms. He soon thrusts them out, letting out a scream, summoning a dark creature behind him. This creature appeared to be a Heartless, taking on a muscular, humanoid form. This Heartless was known as a Guardian. Now, Aqua not only had to deal with Terranort, but she would also have to face his Guardian. Aqua stood ready as she prepared herself for another fight.

The Guardian struck first by detaching itself from Terranort and flying forward at Aqua to deliver a flying punch. Reacting quickly, Aqua leapt out of the way, making the Guardian miss. The dark creature returns to Terranort's side and spread it's arms out, charging up dark energy in it's hands. When it was fully charged, the Guardian threw it's arms up, sending a pair of dark shockwaves toward Aqua who cartwheeled out of the way.

Aqua aimed her Keyblade at Terranort and fired several light orbs from the tip of her Keyblade. Both Terranort and his Guardian suffered multiple hits from the light orbs. Next, Aqua hurls her Keyblade at Terranort while it was cloaked with light. Within moments, the Keyblade lands a direct hit to Terranort's chest and it explodes in a flash of light, knocking him and his Guardian back.

Terranort growled in anger and sent his Guardian to attack Aqua. The Guardian detaches itself from Terranort and sinks into the ground. Before she could do anything, the Guardian flies out of the dark pool, grabs Aqua, and slams her down into the ground, creating a large shockwave. Then, the dark creature throws Aqua forward, sending her back.

Aqua was sent rolling across the ground, but she soon came to a stop. The female Keyblade Master rose up onto her feet and stood her ground as Terranort and his Guardian hovered infront of her.

With Shara, she and Lord Drazor stared each other down. But that soon ended when Lord Drazor thrusts his left-hand forward, hurling a powerful storm of dark blue lightning bolts from his fingertips. Shara defends against the electric blast with her Keyblade, sending the dark lightning bolts flying in all directions. The two Keyblade Wielders stood their ground, but then Shara began pushing against the dark lightning, advancing toward Lord Drazor. When she was in reach of him, Shara broke the clash, swinging her Keyblade to the left, knocking the dark lightning away. Then, she struck Lord Drazor with a right-slash, landing a direct to his head.

Lord Drazor was sent staggering back after receiving the blow to the head. Shara's blow broke off the right-side of Lord Drazor's helmet, revealing a small portion of his face and his right-eye. His skin was now a ghostly pale color with his veins nearly visible. And his eye color had transformed into a luminous, blood-red.

Shara gasped in shock as she was horrified by what she saw. And now that she looked at him, she sensed a familiar darkness within the Dark Keyblade Wielder that stood before her. It was the same darkness she had sensed within Ducar during their Mark of Mastery Exam back before their journey even began. She soon realized that the person infront of her was in fact her husband, consumed by the darkness in his heart.

"Ducar?!" Shara gasps

Aqua stood in utter shock upon hearing what she had just heard. First, it was Terra. Now, it was Ducar. Both men had succumbed to the darkness. While Aqua was distracted, the Guardian hurls two orbs of darkness at her. Focusing back on her battle, Aqua saw the two orbs of darkness heading straight for her. Reacting quickly, Aqua leapt out of the way, dodging the two dark orbs.

While Aqua continued her battle with Terranort and his Guardian, Shara tried to get through to her husband.

"Ducar, it's me! Shara! Your wife!"

"Your husband is gone. He has been consumed by the darkness in his heart. But you will join him soon enough!" Lord Drazor says

Lord Drazor jumps toward Shara and cleaves his Keyblade down on Shara who blocks the attack, holding her Keyblade up in defense.

 _"This is worse than I feared. Ducar has succumbed to the darkness in his heart and now he's become a monster!"_ Shara thought to herself

Shara shoves Lord Drazor back and brought her Keyblade close to her side, getting into battle stance.

 _"It's up to me now. I have to get Ducar back. I must do this! For our son!"_ Shara thought to herself

As she stood there, Shara began to glow with pure light, emitting a bright blue aura. Her Keyblade also glowed with pure light, emitting an aura of the same color. Lord Drazor's body began to radiate a black aura of darkness. His right-eye shined red and sparks of dark blue lightning danced all over his body.

Lord Drazor stared at Shara, giving her a sinister glare. As he stood there, cracks began to appear on the ground beneath him and five chunks of rocks levitated in the air behind the Dark Keyblade Wielder, hovering behind his back. With his gaze focused on Shara, Lord Drazor hurled the large rocks straight toward her at incredible speed. Shara quickly leapt over to the sides, dodging four of the large rocks. As she rose up onto her feet, she saw the last rock hurtling straight toward her. Reacting quickly, Shara stretched her left-hand out toward the large rock and stopped it only a few feet away from her. Shara pulled her arm back and thrust her hand forward, sending the large rock back at Lord Drazor. The Dark Keyblade Wielder stretched his left-hand out toward the large rock and stopped it only a few feet away from him. He then gripped his hand into a fist, causing the rock to shatter into pieces.

Lord Drazor grips his left-hand into a fist again, making a dark blue light glow briefly on his arm. Then, he thrusts his hand out toward Shara, firing a volley of dark blue fireballs through his palm. Shara aimed her Keyblade at the Dark Keyblade Wielder and fired a volley of blue-colored blasts of light from the tip of her Keyblade. Both blasts of light and darkness clash with each other, not one hitting it's target.

Shara rushes forward at Lord Drazor and spins around, swinging her Keyblade with a roundhouse slash. Lord Drazor spins around and swings his Dark Keyblade with a reverse roundhouse slash. The two warriors clash and were soon caught in a blade lock. Lord Drazor pushes against Shara with his powerful strength, making her stagger backwards. He then sends Shara back with a thrust of his left-hand, throwing her away with a powerful telekinetic blast. Shara slides back across the ground and eventually skids to a stop.

Shara leapt back at Lord Drazor with her Keyblade raised over her right-shoulder and brought it down on him, but he raised up his Dark Keyblade and blocked against the blow. Shara lunged her Keyblade at Lord Drazor, but he knocks her Keyblade away with a swing of his Dark Keyblade. He then began assaulting Shara with some strong blows, swinging his Dark Keyblade left and right. Shara parried each blow that was thrown at her. Lord Drazor raised his Dark Keyblade over his head and cleaved it down on Shara who blocked the blow with her Keyblade, forcing the two warriors in another blade lock. Lord Drazor shoved Shara back and delivered a strong kick to her chest, knocking her back. He then crosses his arms and began charging up with dark energy. Lord Drazor began to glow with a black and blue light. Within moments, he thrusts his body outwards, creating a large spherical telekinetic explosion which made ripples in space, sending Shara flying through the air, flinging her away at high velocity.

Shara hits the ground and rolls across the courtyard. She eventually came to a stop, lying on her right-side.

Back with Aqua, the Guardian flies forward and grabs the female Keyblade Master by her shoulders. Terranort slowly walked toward Aqua to finish her while she struggled to break free. Just before he could reach her, a blinding flash of light transports Aqua to a glittering, glowing area. The Guardian was also there, relentlessly hurling dark orbs at Aqua who cartwheeled out of the way. As she dodged the dark orbs, Aqua heard a familiar voice call out to her.

"Aqua!" A familiar voice calls out

Aqua immediately recognized the voice, knowing it belonged to Terra. She look up ahead where the Guardian was and saw Terra underneath it.

"Terra!" Aqua exclaims

Aqua began making her way toward Terra, dodging the dark orbs which the Guardian continued hurling at her. Eventually, Aqua made it over to Terra and the two friends stood close together against the Guardian, standing on a runic symbol beneath them.

As he stood there, Terranort suddenly began to glow with bright light. It turns out, Terra was fighting in his internal conflict with Xehanort.

"Stop fighting back!" Terranort says

Terranort grunted some more until his body stood straight up with his arms stretched out.

"Terra, I know you're in there!" Aqua says

In their internal conflict, Terra begins to get the upperhand and begins to force Terranort to turn his Dark Keyblade on himself to force his heart out.

"This will teach you! Get out of my heart!" Terranort says

In that moment, Terranort stabs himself with his Dark Keyblade, causing a light to glow on his chest.

"Terra!" Aqua cries out

The Guardian behind Terranort began dripping with darkness, creating a dark pool on the ground beneath it. The Guardian falls into the dark pool and disappears. Terranort falls back and began to sink into it. Aqua dives after Terranort in a desperate attempt to save Terra. Shara saw this and was shocked.

"Aqua!" Shara cries out

Shara quickly got up onto her feet and was about to follow, but Lord Drazor stands in her way. The Dark Keyblade Wielder stretches his left-hand out toward Shara, catching her in a telekinetic grip. Shara clutched her throat as she felt an invisible force tighten around it, choking her. Lord Drazor turned his hand under and lifted Shara up into the air.

"Ducar! I know you can hear me! It's not too late! You can still return to the light. Fight it, Ducar! Please!" Shara says

"Ducar is dead. I killed him." Lord Drazor says

Lord Drazor thrusts his hand forward, flinging Shara away from him. Shara rolls across the ground and eventually came to a stop lying flat on her stomach.

"But now, you will share his fate and join him in death!" Lord Drazor says

In that moment, Lord Drazor pulled his Dark Keyblade back and thrusts it forward, firing a giant dark blue-colored beam of darkness at the female Keyblade Master. Shara got up on her feet and noticed the dark beam heading straight toward her. Reacting quickly, Shara pulled her Keyblade back and thrust it forward, firing a giant blue-colored beam of pure light. The two beams of light and darkness clashed in an epic power struggle, creating a powerful shockwave. Lord Drazor's beam was immensely strong and began pushing it's way toward Shara. Shara pushed with all her might, but it wasn't enough. She gave one last attempt to reach through to her husband.

"I won't give up! I know my husband is still in there! He is stronger than this! Stronger than you! Ducar, please! I beg you! Remember who you are! Remember your friends! All those you fought for! Remember me! Remember your son!" Shara says

"My son?" Lord Drazor says baffled

Lord Drazor suddenly grunts in pain. A faint image of Ducar stood infront of Lord Drazor showing who he truly was.

"Shara!" Ducar says

The faint image of Ducar flashed back and forth from Lord Drazor to himself as he tried to fight against the darkness.

"That's it, Ducar! Fight back! You can do it! Remember! Remember your friends!" Shara says

The faint image of Ducar continued to flash back and forth as he fought the darkness in his heart, trying to remember who he truly was.

"My... friends." Ducar/Lord Drazor says

Everyone who Ducar met on his journey all flashed through his mind.

First, there was Spyro, Cynder, Sparx, Ignitus, Terrador, Cyril, and Volteer from the Dragon Realms.

Next, there was Bowen, Brother Gilbert, Kara, and Draco from Camelot.

Then, there was Cinderella and Fairy Godmother from the Castle of Dreams.

Queen Minnie, Pluto, and Chip and Dale from Disney Town.

Hercules, Zack, and Phil from the Olympus Coliseum.

Experiment 626 from Deep Space.

Peter Pan, and the Lost Boys from Neverland.

Sora and Riku from Destiny Islands.

The Inheritor, Vervada, and Master Yen Sid.

And even his own friends, Terra, Ventus, and Aqua. Ducar was beginning to fight back and was gaining the upperhand.

"Now, remember me! Your wife, Shara! And your son, Devon!"

"My son." Ducar/Lord Drazor says

An image of Devon smiling flashed in his mind.

"Devon!" Ducar/Lord Drazor exclaims

Lord Drazor's beam of darkness began to weaken and Shara's beam of light began to make it's way toward him.

"I... won't hurt... my friends... I... won't hurt... my wife... and I won't hurt... my son!" Ducar/Lord Drazor says

The beam of light finally manages to break through and hits Lord Drazor directly in the chest. Lord Drazor was sent back flying across the courtyard, landing on his back. He slides across the ground and eventually skids to a stop. Lord Drazor was defeated.

( _The Realm of Darkness_ )

Aqua in her Keyblade Armor dives down toward Terranort on her Keyblade Glider as they were both falling deep into the bottomless darkness.

"The darkness can't have you!" Aqua says

Aqua flew down toward Terranort at full speed. She eventually reaches Terranort and grabs hold of him. With that, Aqua began to fly back up toward the light. However, at the rate at which she was going with all the weight, they wouldn't make it. Aqua had to think of something otherwise she and Terra will both be lost to the darkness.

"I have to do something or we'll both be lost." Aqua says

Aqua soon came up with an idea. One she was willing to do. Aqua's Keyblade Glider vanishes in a flash of light and the two were now falling back down into the darkness. Aqua's Keyblade Armor was holding onto Terranort while Aqua placed her Keyblade into his hand.

"I'm with you. Go!" Aqua says

Aqua sends Terra back into the Realm of Light while she remains behind. As she fell, Aqua closed her eyes.

"Ven, I'm sorry... I might not make it back as soon as I thought. But I'll be there one day to wake you up." Aqua says

With that said, Aqua accepted her fate and fell into the endless darkness, disappearing in a flash of light.

( _Radiant Garden_ )

Shara watches as her corrupted husband fades away into darkness. She then notices that the pool of darkness that Terra and Aqua fell in had disappeared. She was all that was left.

"It's over. I'm all that's left. Terra, Aqua, and Ducar. They're gone." Shara says

A sad look came upon Shara's face. Unable to do anything for her two friends or her husband, Shara switched into her Keyblade Armor and left Radiant Garden.

( _The Lanes Between_ )

As she flew away on her Keyblade Glider, Shara looked back toward Radiant Garden as it started to get smaller and smaller. She then took out her Wayfinder and looked down at it.

"Ducar... I'm sorry. I wasn't able to save you. But I promise, I'll take care of Devon and make sure he becomes a great Keyblade Master. Maybe someday, he can set things right." Shara says

Shara looked up ahead and saw The Celestial Temple in the distance. She flew off toward the Celestial Temple to go pick up her son and return home to the Celestial Realm.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Here's another good chapter. Shara and Aqua head off to Radiant Garden and find Terra, only to discover that he has been taken over by Xehanort. They also meet Lord Drazor, the Dark Knight who Shara discovers to be her husband. The four warriors engage in an epic struggle, but in the end only Shara survives. Aqua sacrifices herself to save Terra while Ducar fades back into darkness. Now, it's up to Shara to take care of Devon in hopes of training him to become the Legendary Keyblade Master he is destined to be. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	37. There's always a way

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Celestial Temple_ )

Shara arrives at the Celestial Temple and walks up the stairs leading to the front entrance. Just as she placed her hands to open the doors, Shara paused for a moment to reflect back on what happened at Radiant Gardens. She felt sad for losing Terra, Aqua, and her husband, Ducar to the darkness. She also felt bad knowing that Ventus was still back at Castle Oblivion, trapped in his eternal slumber. But she knew that feeling sad wouldn't help bring them back. All she could do now was take care of her son and keep him safe.

When she was ready, Shara opened the doors to the temple and made her way through the entrance hall. As she did, she remembered her conversation with her husband the night before their journey began.

( _Flashback_ )

Ventus, Terra, and Aqua were walking back home while Shara and Ducar spent a few more seconds looking up toward the stars.

 _"No matter what the outcome. We will be together. Always."_ Ducar says

 _"That's right."_ Shara says

Shara and Ducar look toward each other and smile. Then, they motion close together and kiss each other on the lips underneath the stars.

( _Present time_ )

Shara made her way up to the top of the cupola and walked through the central hallway, approaching the Celestial Archive. She came upon the tall doorway and headed on through. Inside, Shara saw that Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Master Yen Sid was still here with the Inheritor and Vervada. She also saw that her son was still resting peacefully against the white dragoness' belly.

"Shara! You're back!" Mickey exclaims

Shara looked up and gave her friends a weak smile, nodding her head slightly.

"How's my son?" Shara asks

"He's still asleep." Vervada says

Shara walked over to her son and kneeled down to him.

"Where... Where's Aqua?" Mickey asks

Shara looked over at Mickey for a brief moment, then looked away with a sad look on her face.

"She's gone... along with Terra and Ducar." Shara says

Mickey, Donald, and Goofy looked at each other with sad looks on their faces.

"What happened?" Mickey asks

"Aqua and I brought Ventus to someplace safe. Then, we heard Terra and Ducar calling out to us. We found them at Radiant Garden, but they weren't the same. The darkness in their hearts overtook them and we were forced to fight them. Terra fell back into the darkness and Aqua dived in to save him. I tried to follow but Ducar stopped me. I fought my husband and I won. Terra and Aqua were already gone and so was my husband. I was all that was left. So, I made my way back here to check up on my son." Shara says

"So... Terra, Ducar, and Aqua... they're really gone?" Mickey asks

"I'm afraid so." Shara says

Everyone remained silent as they grieved for the loss of their friends. Then, the Inheritor broke the silence.

 _ **"Three lights may have been lost to the darkness, but there is still hope. For we still have one light that shines brightly."**_ The Inheritor says

The Inheritor looks over at Devon as he laid comfortably against Vervada's side. Everyone else looked down at Devon, following the Inheritor's gaze. A smile began to form on Shara's face as she looked upon her son.

"Devon." Shara says

 _ **"Your son may not be old enough to wield a Keyblade just yet, Shara, but he must be cared for until he can. The Dark Lord will be looking for him, and he must be kept safe, away from his gaze. As of now, Devon is our only hope for the future. The light against the darkness."**_ The Inheritor says

"I'll take Devon back to our home in the Celestial Realm and watch over him. And when he gets older, I'll train him to be a Keyblade Wielder just like me and his father. And maybe together, we'll find a way to bring Terra, Aqua, and Ducar back." Shara says

The Inheritor nods in agreement.

"Good luck, Shara." Mickey says

"Take care of yourself, Shara. Both you and your son." Vervada says

Shara looks at her friends and nods to them. She gently picks up Devon and held him in her arms, then turns around and leaves the Celestial Archive.

 ** _"May the graceful light of Kingdom Hearts protect you."_ ** The Inheritor says

( _Moments later_ )

Shara walks out of the Celestial Temple, carrying Devon in her arms. When she was outside, Shara looked up at the stars. And out of all the stars in the night sky, she saw one of them shining brightly than all the others. Shara knew that star had to be their home. Suddenly, Shara's necklace began to glow, making her look down at it in surprise. Shara felt that the light was guiding both her and her son back home. Switching her gaze, she looked down at her son as he slept peacefully in her arms.

"Devon, let's go home." Shara says

Holding her son in one arm, Shara stretches her right-hand out and summons her Keyblade: Faithful Salvation in a flash of light. She then points it forward and a beam of light shoots out from the tip of her Keyblade, opening a blue portal of light. With a sense of determination filling her heart, Shara headed into the portal with her son, beginning their journey home.

( _Destiny Islands_ )

Sora and Riku laid down on the beaches of the main island on their backs, looking up at the stars in the night sky. Riku soon sat up and looked at Sora.

"Hey, I'm gonna head back." Riku says

Sora also sat up and looked back at Riku.

"Yeah, me too." Sora says

The two young boys began making their way toward home. As they walked home, Riku noticed that something with Sora.

"Sora, what's wrong?" Riku asks

Sora turns and looks at Riku confused.

"Huh?" Sora says

"You're..." Riku says pointing to Sora's face

Sora puts his right-hand to his face and felt a tear sliding down his right-cheek.

"That's wierd. It's like something's squeezing me inside." Sora says

"Somebody up there must be sad." Riku says

"Up where?" Sora asks

Riku turns and looks up at the stars.

"They say every world is connected by one great big sky. So maybe there's somebody up there in all those worlds who's really hurting and they're waiting for you to help them." Riku says

"Well gee, do you think there's something I could do?" Sora asks

Riku crosses his arms.

"Hmm... Maybe they just need you to open your heart and listen." Riku says

"Hmm... I dunno, Riku. You say some weird stuff sometimes, but I'll try it." Sora says

"Okay." Riku says

Sora looks up at the stars and closes his eyes.

( _Castle Oblivion_ )

Ventus still sat in the chair sleeping in eternal slumber when he heard a young voice call out to him.

 _"Hey? Can you hear me?"_

( _Radiant Garden_ )

In Radiant Garden, Braig walked into the courtyard, leading Dilan and Ansem the Wise to the town square.

"Right this way." Braig says

As they walked into the town square, the three men saw Terranort who laid unconscious on the ground. Ansem the Wise kneels down to Terranort and holds him up in his arms.

"Young man, what ails you?" Ansem the Wise asks

Terranort grunts and slowly regains consciousness.

"Can you speak? Tell me your name." Ansem the Wise says

"Xeha... nort."

"Xehanort." Ansem the Wise says

Braig smiles secretly while Xehanort loses consciousness.

"Quickly, get him to the castle!" Ansem the Wise commands

Braig nods in acknowledgement.

"You can count on me." Braig says

Braig grabs hold of Xehanort in his arms and looks over at Dilan.

"Dilan, get those for me." Braig says

Dilan looks toward the pieces of Aqua's Keyblade Armor and her Keyblade as they laid on the ground.

( _The Realm of Darkness_ )

Now trapped in the Realm of Darkness, Aqua travels down the dark pathways.

"Seems like I've been traveling for ages. How long have I been down here?" Aqua says

Suddenly, Aqua was attacked by five Darkside Heartless. Aqua summoned Master Eraqus' Keyblade and got into battle stance. Her grip on her master's Keyblade loosened up a little as she felt there was no point in fighting. She dismissed her Keyblade as she prepared to accept her fate.

"Maybe... I should fade into darkness here." Aqua says

One of the Heartless raised up it's fist, preparing to attack. But before it could strike, four lights shined through the darkness and soared straight for the Heartless. The lights materialized into four different Keyblades. One was Ventus' Keyblade: Wayward Wind. The second was Terra's Keyblade: Earthshaker. The third was Shara's Keyblade: Faithful Salvation. And the fourth was Ducar's Keyblade: Vanguard of Honor. The four Keyblades struck down four of the Heartless, sending them back into oblivion. With just one Heartless left, a fifth light shined through the darkness and flew straight toward the remaining Darkside. The light materialized into a fifth Keyblade unknown to Aqua. This Keyblade was none other than Soul Calibur, Devon's Keyblade which shined brighter than all the other Keyblades combined. The Keyblade struck the last Heartless down into oblivion, slicing straight through it's body, saving Aqua from her fate. Aqua looks up in amazement as the Keyblades disappear into the darkness. In that moment, Aqua smiles.

"I guess it's been so long, I almost forgot how to smile." Aqua says

Aqua takes out her Wayfinder and looks down at it, remembering of all the people she's connected to, all of the friends she's made on her journey.

First, she's reminded of her closest friends: Ventus, Terra, Master Eraqus, Shara, Ducar, and Devon.

Then, she remembers Cinderella, Jaq, the Fairy God Mother, and Prince Charming from the Castle of Dreams.

Snow White, the Prince, the Seven Dwarves from the Dwarf Woodlands.

Princess Aurora, Prince Phillip, and the three fairies, Fauna, Merryweather, and Flora from the Enchanted Dominion.

Scrooge McDuck from Radiant Garden.

Queen Minnie, Queen Daisy, Pluto, Chip and Dale, Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Horace from Disney Town.

Hercules, Zack, and Phil from the Olympus Coliseum.

Experiment 626 from Deep Space.

Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and the Lost Boys from Neverland.

The Inheritor, Vervada, Master Yen Sid, Mickey, Donald, Goofy. And finally, she remembers Kairi, Riku, and Sora.

Aqua had a feeling that Devon and those three were very special. She smiled and looked down at her Wayfinder.

"There is always a way." Aqua says

With renewed trust in her friends, Aqua continues on through the Realm of Darkness.

( _The Dragon Realms_ )

At the Dragon Temple, it was night time and Ignitus was standing outside on the balcony, looking out at the surrounding environment, wondering about Spyro and Cynder. He was soon joined by Terrador, Volteer, and Cyril who stood alongside him. Ignitus looked at each of his friendly guardians and smiled. The four dragons then looked back out into their world which Shara and Ducar helped saved. They knew that Spyro and Cynder would return and they held true to their faith.

( _Camelot_ )

Bowen stood on the walls of the castle which he had taken from Einon since his defeat, looking up at the stars in the night sky. He was soon joined by Kara and Brother Gilbert who looked at him and smiled. Bowen looked at his friends and smiled. Then, the trio looked back up at the stars as the constellation: Draco appeared in the night sky, filling their hearts with comfort.

( _Disney Town_ )

Huey, Dewey, and Louie were racing on the Rumble Race ground, piloting small air planes decorated with their own individual colors close to the ground. Dewey and Louie were up ahead while Huey was lagging behind. The duck trio soon came close to the finish line. Huey manages to catch up and take the lead, winning the race. Queen Minnie, Pluto, Chip, Dale, and Horace cheered for the trio on the sidelines.

( _Enchanted Dominion_ )

Maleficent stood on the stone bridge outside King Stefan's castle, looking out toward the building. She soon took her leave as she went on to continue her dark plan.

Inside the castle, Merryweather stood on a balcony in the looked down and saw Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora dancing together. She beckoned Flora and Fauna to come over and the three fairies watched as the couple danced. Flora saw the blue color on Aurora's dress and she waved her wand, changing it to pink. Merryweather wasn't very pleased with this and she used her wand to change it back to blue. The two fairies continued this for quite sometime while Fauna simply watched.

( _Castle of Dreams_ )

Cinderella and Prince Charming dance in the ballroom while the Grand Duke watches with a happy face. Jaq watches from the balcony and the Fairy Godmother appears behind him. With a wave of her wand, she creates a series of small fireworks above the lovely pair, making the moment even more happier.

( _Dwarf Woodlands_ )

The Seven Dwarves walk out from the forest and make their way over to Snow White and Prince Charming who were standing in the meadows in a clearing together. They gather around the couple and throw beautiful flower petals over them to make a beautiful scene for the lovers.

( _Olympus Coliseum_ )

Hercules continues his training with Phil at the coliseum gates, doing a couple of push-ups. Zack crosses his arms and leans back against the gates, watching them. He looks up when a black feather floats past him, and he disappears.

( _Deep Space_ )

Experiment 626 was flying through space in his red cruiser. He looks at his make-shift Wayfinder which he had fixed and places it on the steering wheel as he flies his ship towards a blue star.

( _Neverland_ )

Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and the Lost Boys managed to get their treasure chest back from Captain Hook and brought it back to their place in the clearing. Peter Pan and Tinkerbell flew around the tree and discovered that Captain Hook and Smee were watching them. Very quietly, he flies over and steals Captain Hook's hat who realized it was missing. Captain Hook looked up and saw Peter Pan wearing his hat, laughing.

( _The Celestial Temple_ )

In the Celestial Archive, Donald and Goofy watched in sorrow with their hats off as Mickey walked up to the Inheritor with a sad look on his face. He places his Star Seeker Keyblade onto the Inheritor's desk black marble desk, thinking he had failed his Mark of Mastery Exam and disgraced his masters. Mickey turns around to depart while the Inheritor sat in his seat. The ancient being took hold of the Keyblade and looked down at it, then looks up at Mickey. Just as he was about to leave, Mickey stops, turns around, and watched as the Inheritor got up from his seat and approach him with the Keyblade in his hands. The heavenly being kneels down to the small mouse and gives him back the Keyblade. Mickey looks up at the Inheritor with a surprised expression on his face. The Inheritor simply smiled at Mickey, showing he deserved to be a Keyblade Master. The mouse king smiled and took hold of his Keyblade. He then raises it up with pride. Mickey had passed his test. Now, he was a full-fledged Keyblade Master.

( _Radiant Garden_ )

Dilan and Aeleus both walk out of the castle with Lea who was struggling and Isa who felt resigned. The two men throw them out and head back inside the castle. Afterward, Lea and Isa head down to the Castle Town and buy two Sea Salt Ice Cream from Scrooge McDuck. The two boys look up at the sky and enjoy their ice cream.

Meanwhile, Kairi was picking flowers in a large garden when she stopped and looked up at the bright sky as if she had sensed something. As she does, her necklace emits a faint, weak glow.

( _Dive into the Heart_ )

Sora opened his eyes and found himself standing in the Station of Awakening. Sora's station displayed the landscape of Destiny Islands on the bottom, with Paopu Fruits and different elements found on the island and encircled separately on the top. The circles making up the inner ring had crowns in them. Sora looked up and saw Ventus' heart floating down toward him.

"Hey, can you hear me?" Sora says

"I heard your voice. It cut through the darkness around me." Ventus says

Ventus' heart floated down into Sora's hands.

"All alone I followed the sound, into a sea of light, and found myself here, with you. You gave something back when I needed it most. A second chance." Ventus says

"I did?" Sora asks feeling confused

"But... now I have to go back to sleep again." Ventus says

"Are you sad?" Sora asks feeling concerned

"Would you mind if I stayed here, with you?" Ventus asks

"Sure, if it'll make you feel better." Sora says

"Thank you." Ventus says

Sora pulls Ventus' heart close to his chest and it made it's way into his body. Ventus was now a part of Sora's heart. Sora smiled and closed his eyes with his hands over his heart.

( _Destiny Islands_ )

Sora opened his eyes and saw that he was back on Destiny Islands, standing next to Riku who looked at him.

"Well?" Riku asks

"Ya know... I think it worked." Sora says

The two boys smiled and looked back up at the night sky, gazing up at the stars.

( _The Celestial Realm_ )

A blue portal of light opens up near the beaches of the Celestial Realm and out stepped the female Keyblade Master, Shara with her son, Devon safely in her arms. Shara looked around, taking in the familiar environment. Then, she looked upon her beachfront home which awaited her return. Shara let out a sigh and she walked up to her home, carrying her son in her arms. The caring mother walked up the porch and came up to the front door. She was about to grab hold of the doorknob when she paused for a moment. Shara couldn't believe it. After all those years of being away, she and her son were finally back home.

Breaking out of her thoughts, Shara turned the doorknob and opened the front door. She walked inside and took in the sight of her glorious home. The living room was set on the right while the kitchen was nearby on the left.

"Home sweet home." Shara says

Shara looked down at her son, then looked down the hallway which led to their rooms. Devon's room was on the right. The family bedroom was on the left. And the bathroom was down at the end of the hall. Shara walked down the hall and brought her son into his room. Once she came into her son's room, she took in the sights of the room.

Devon's room was set up just like it was back in the Land of Departure. His bed was laid out across from the door next to the window which looked over the beach. A small side table stood alongside the right-side of the bed. A black, star decorated lamp stood on the side table. There was also a clear, blue crystal shard set up on the small table. The dresser stood next to the side table, close to the door. Across from the bed was a wide, narrow table that held a collection of colorful glowing crystals. Next to that was a mirrored closet set up alongside it on the opposite side of the room. This closet had two mirrors which slides open and closed. Devon's room also had three paintings. One depicted a beautiful beach on a bright, sunny day with palm trees both tall and short. Another painting displayed an islet on the sea housing palm trees during the sunset. And the third painting showed a beach at night time with a full moon nestled in the night sky which was filled with stars.

"Well, Devon, we're back. And here's your room." Shara says

Shara walked over to the bed and gently placed Devon down, laying him comfortably on his bed. The loving mother looked down at her son as he slept peacefully on his soft bed. She sat down alongside him and rubbed his head gently with her right-hand.

"Sleep well, Devon." Shara says

After saying that, Shara rose up and left the room, leaving door open. As soon as Shara left the room, a faint light emitted from Devon's chest. It turned out that a piece of Ventus' heart had made it's way into Devon's heart as well. The rest of the night was quiet as the stars glittered in the skies above.

 _In time, the worlds would be saved by these four heroes who stood beneath the same blaze of stars._

* * *

 **Author's Note:** After the intense battle at Radiant Garden, Shara returns to the Celestial Temple and picks up her son as she prepares to bring him back home, promising to take care of her son and keep him safe from the darkness. Sora meets Ventus' heart and shelters him in his heart. Xehanort is found by Ansem the Wise and is taken in as his apprentice. Aqua wanders alone in the Realm of Darkness. And now, Shara and Devon are back home in the Celestial Realm. Next chapter, we will explore more of the Celestial Realm and meet some of it's inhabitants. Bet you all can't wait. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	38. Dearly Beloved

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Celestial Realm_ )

It was a bright, new day in the Celestial Realm as the sun rose up on the horizon, it's light beaming down on the sea, making the ocean water appear crystal clear. Shara was laying on her right-side on her sea blue leather couch out in the living room of her home sound asleep. She began to stir as she slowly started to wake up. Her eyes slowly opened up, adjusting to the blur of her vision. When she was fully awake, she sat upright and looked around the room. She then looked out the window infront of her, taking in the grand view of the majestic ocean. As she stared at the ocean, Shara realized that it had been so long since she and her family left their home.

 _"It's been so long since we've been away. I can't believe we're back home."_ Shara thought to herself

Shara soon remembered that not all of their family made it back. She almost forgot that Ducar, her husband, was still gone, lost to the darkness and the evil villains who now had control over him. From the moment that realization came into her mind, a sad look came upon Shara's face.

 _"Well... almost everyone."_ Shara thought to herself

Shara looked over to her right and saw a long side-table up against the wall near the door. On the table was some pictures of her, Ducar, and their son, Devon. She got up from the couch and walked over to look upon the pictures. The first one she looked at was a photo of them standing on the beach together on a sunny day with the sea to their backs. The next one was a photo of Devon and Ducar fishing near the shoreline. Another photo showed Devon and Shara swimming underwater surrounded by colorful fish and corals. And another photo showed them laying on the beach, looking up at the starry night sky while the moon shined down on them in the background. A smile formed on Shara's face as she gazed upon each of the pictures. But that smile quickly went away when she looked upon her husband in the photos.

The female Keyblade Master looked off toward her son's bedroom and decided to check up on him. She walked up to the door and looked inside. Devon was still in his coma, lying peacefully on his bed. Shara closed her eyes and let out a sigh.

Shara decided to get some fresh air and went outside to sit on the beach near the water. She wondered when her son would ever wake up. But no matter how long it would be, she would always be there to watch over him.

Further away from Shara, two large dragons were walking down the beach with their young hatchling following close behind. The two adult dragons were known as Krysia and Infernus. And their young dragon hatchling was their son, Ty.

Krysia was a female ice dragoness who happened to be one of Shara and Ducar's friends.

She had light blue eyes, light blue scales with a dark blue underbelly, a tail ending with a three spiked tip, two silver-white horns, and two small fin-like ear flaps on her head. She had a long neck, large wings, and a lean body shape. She wore silver, diamond-studded bracelets on her four paws, a choker on her neck, and another bracelet on her tail.

Infernius was a male fire dragon who was also one of Shara and Ducar's friends and also Krysia's loving mate.

He had amber eyes, red scales with a light tan underbelly, a tail ending with a flame-like tip, two slightly curved gold horns, and four cheek spines. He had a long neck, large wings, and a muscular body shape. He wore gold-studded bracelets on his four paws, and another on his tail.

And their son, Ty, was a friendly young dragon who was one of Devon's best friends.

He had blue eyes, bluish-purple scales with a light tan underbelly, a tail ending with a cone-like tip, two slightly curved silver-white horns, four cheek spines, and two small fin-like ear flaps on his head.

Ty was the first to see Shara on the beach. And the moment he saw Devon's mother, he was both surprised and happy to see her. A smile formed on his face and his tail wagged happily. Krysia and Infernius looked down at their young hatchling wondering why he was looking so happy. They looked up ahead and soon found their answer. And just like their son, they were surprised and happy at the same time.

"Shara!" Ty exclaims

Shara jumped a bit in reaction to Ty's voice and looked to her right to see the small dragon racing towards her. A smile came upon her face as she saw the cheerful dragon. Shara stood up and jogged over to the dragon family. Within moments, Ty jumped into Shara's arms and wrapped his arms around her neck. He then began licking her happily.

"Hi, Ty." Shara says

"I'm so happy you're back!" Ty says

"I know. I am too." Shara says

Shara looked up and saw Krysia and Infernius standing before her with smiles on their faces.

"Shara. It's been a while." Krysia says

"We never expected you would be back since you and Ducar left to become Keyblade Wielders." Infernius says

"It felt like it's been a lifetime." Shara says

"When did you get back?" Krysia asks

"Just last night. Me and Devon came back home." Shara says

"Devon's back too?!" Ty asks excitingly

Shara looked down at Ty and nodded with a smile.

"Yep. He's back in our house. But he's sleeping." Shara says

Infernius looked around and noticed that Ducar wasn't around. Krysia saw this as well and the two dragons began wondering where he was.

"Where's Ducar? Did he come back with you?" Infernius asks

Shara looked up at the fire dragon, but then looked down with a sad look on her face, knowing full well of her husband's fate.

"Ducar... He... he didn't make it. He's gone..." Shara says

The three dragons were shocked to hear this. And just like Shara, sad expressions formed on their faces.

"Oh, Shara, I'm so sorry. I'm sure it must've been hard for you and your son." Krysia says

"It was." Shara says

"Ducar was a great man. He was a good friend to us all." Infernius says

"If you or your son ever need anything, we're here for you." Krysia says

"I appreciate it, Krysia. Thanks." Shara says

"Shara, you said Devon was sleeping, is it alright if we may see him? I'm sure he must be taking this loss real hard." Infernius says

Shara nodded and led the three dragons back to her home. Fortunately for Krysia and Infernius, the house was spacious so they were able to follow Shara inside. The female Keyblade Master led the dragons through the living room to Devon's bedroom in the hallway. There, they saw Devon still on his bed. Ty was very excited to see his best friend. The little dragon jumped up on the bed and looked down at the young boy with his tail wagging happily.

"Devon! Wake up! It's Ty!"

Ty expected Devon to wake up, but he had no idea that he was in a coma. When Devon did not wake up, Ty was starting to feel worried.

"Devon?" Ty asks

The small dragon nudged his snout against Devon's face in an attempt to wake him up, but nothing happened. Devon didn't stir.

"Mom, Dad, Devon's not waking up." Ty says in a worried voice

Krysia and Infernius looked at Shara who held a sad look on her face.

"I thought you said your son was sleeping." Infernius says

"No, he is asleep. But... it's a different kind of sleep." Shara says

"What do you mean, Shara?" Krysia asks

Shara remained silent for a moment, then decided to speak.

"Devon's... in a coma." Shara says

The three dragons were utterly shocked to hear this. But none were as shocked as Ty was.

"Will he wake up soon?" Ty asks in a worried voice

"I... don't know. From what the Inheritor told me, it could be days, weeks, months, or even years." Shara says

Krysia and Infernius closed their eyes and hung their heads in sadness. Ty was even more sad than his parents. His eyes was already streaming with tears. Ty crawled over to Devon's right-side and laid down alongside him, whimpering in a sad tone. It was a truly sad moment for Ty. His best friend was in a coma and he felt so helpless. The two adult dragons felt horrible to see their young hatchling so sad about his best friend. Even Shara felt bad as her heart ached with the pain of sorrow. It was like the sadness would never end.

Infernius felt a fiery rage burn up inside him and he growled. All the sadness that had filled his heart was now replaced with anger. Whoever it was that put Devon, the son of his best friend in a coma, would feel his wrath.

"Someone is going to pay for this! Whoever did this to your son, Shara, I promise you I will make them pay!" Infernius roars

"Infernius..." Krysia says with some concern in her voice

The fire dragon turned to look at his mate, seeing the concerned expression on her face.

"Krysia... I know my feelings are out of place at the moment, but I will not stand here helpless while Devon is in a coma, nor will I allow those who did this to him go unpunished." Infernius says

"Infernius, searching for whoever did this won't help Devon wake up anytime soon." Krysia says

Infernius let out a sigh, knowing that his mate was right.

"You're right. I just..." Infernius says

The fire dragon turned around to face Shara.

"I want to help you, Shara. And Devon. I really do." Infernius says

"We all want to help." Krysia says

"I know. But all we can do now is take care of Devon and pray that he will wake up soon." Shara says

( _Moments later_ )

Shara was out sitting on the beach with Krysia while Infernius and Ty were back at the house, keeping Devon company. The two girls talked about their younger years.

"Ducar and Infernius were very close. They've been friends since they were just kids. They were inseparable." Krysia says

"Almost like us. We were just like them." Shara says

The human and ice dragoness looked at each other with smiles on their faces.

"I remember back when we were both kids and we hung out together. Walking down the beach, swimming in the water, playing together." Shara says

"I remember how Ducar always had his eye on you. He thought you looked hot." Krysia giggles

"I'm sure Infernius felt the same way about you." Shara giggles

The two girls both laughed at that. But that soon went away when they both came to realize that Ducar was gone. And thus, their faces held sad expressions.

"When you told us Ducar was gone, it broke our hearts." Krysia says

"Infernius seemed to took the loss pretty hard." Shara says

"I hate to see my mate so heart-broken." Krysia says

"Well, that's why he has you and Ty to comfort him." Shara says

"But what about you? What are you going to tell Devon when he wakes up?" Krysia asks

Shara remained silent upon hearing that. She didn't know how Devon would react to hearing his father was gone. But she knew that she would have to tell him when the time comes.

"I don't know." Shara says

Further down the left-side of the beach, two young men were walking with their two girlfriends. These two men were known as Riley and Danny. And their girlfriends were actually two anthropoid dinosaurs or Saurians known as Nicole and Katie.

Riley was a young man who had slightly tan skin, dark brown eyes, and short black hair.

He wore a pale blue hawaiian shirt with a white shirt underneath, blue jeans, and black sneakers. His hawaiian shirt had white leaf patterns decorating it. He also wore silver dog tags around his neck.

Danny was also a young man who had slightly tan skin, dark brown eyes, and short black hair.

He wore an unbuttoned pale light green hawaiian shirt with a white shirt underneath it, blue jeans, and black sneakers. His hawaiian shirt had white leaf patterns decorating it. He also wore silver dog tags around his neck.

Nicole was a female humanoid T-rex who was Danny's girlfriend.

She had dark brown scales with a tan underbelly. She had large breasts and wide hips. She also had black stripes going down her back all the way down to her tail. Nicole was an attractive character.

She wore a grey midriff exposing spaghetti-strap tank top and dark blue shorts with a black belt.

And Katie was a female humanoid Allosaurus who was Riley's girlfriend.

She had light brown scales with a light tan underbelly. She also had some dark spots on her body.

She wore a white tank top and grey sweat pants.

The four friends were enjoying their stroll on the beach when they saw Shara and Krysia up ahead. The moment they saw the female Keyblade Master, they were both surprised and happy to see her.

"Shara!" Katie exclaims

Shara and Krysia looked over to their left and saw the two boys and saurian girls rushing toward them. Katie reached Shara first and she embraced her human friend in a big hug.

"Shara! It's been so long! How've you been, girlfriend!" Katie says

"Hi, Katie. I'm glad to see you too." Shara says

The female Keyblade Master looked over and saw Riley, Danny, and Nicole standing infront of her.

"Hi, guys." Shara says

The two brothers and anthro T-rex waved their hands or claw in greeting.

"Hey, Shara." Riley says

"Hey." Danny says

"Hi." Nicole says

"You look good, Nicole." Shara says

"Well, I try to impress." Nicole says placing her claws on her hips

"It certainly has been a while since we last saw you, Shara." Danny says

"When did you get back?" Riley asks

"Last night with Devon." Shara says

Danny looked around and noticed that Ducar wasn't here.

"Where's Ducar?" Danny asks

Shara and Krysia looked at each other with sad looks on their faces. Then, they hung their heads in sorrow. Danny, Riley, Nicole, and Katie could tell from the expressions on their faces that something terrible happened to Ducar.

"No..." Katie gasps

"Oh, no. Not him." Nicole says

Danny and Riley looked at each other, both with sad expressions. Katie and Nicole turned to their boyfriends and hugged them for comfort while they hugged them back.

"So, Ducar, he's really gone?" Riley asks

Shara nodded her head, confirming their fear. The two saurian females both hugged their boyfriends even more and they wept in sorrow.

"What about Devon? How's he feeling?" Danny asks

"Devon... He's in a coma." Shara says

The two brothers and saurians were shocked to hear this. They looked on with widened eyes and open mouths.

"What?!" The four friends say in unison

"Where is he?" Katie asks

"He's back at the house with Infernius and Ty." Krysia says

"Follow me." Shara says

Shara led the two human brothers and their saurian girlfriends back to her home with Krysia following close behind. They went inside the house and made their way to Devon's room. Inside, Ty was laying alongside Devon's side with Infernius keeping a watchful eye on them. The two dragons noticed the group coming in and directed their attention at them. The fire dragon nodded his head in greeting with a sorrowful expression on his face, then looked back at his young hatchling as he laid alongside his comatose friend.

"Oh, no. Shara... your son..." Katie gasps

"What happened?" Riley asks

"His heart was put into a deep sleep." Shara says

"Who did this to him?" Danny asks

"An evil being of unspeakable power. He used the power of darkness to put my son into a coma." Shara says

"How long is he gonna be like this?" Nicole asks

"I don't know." Shara says

The two humans and saurians looked at each other with worried expressions. They didn't want Devon to be stuck in his coma forever. So, with determination filling in their hearts, they came up to Shara and chose to help her.

"I want to help." Nicole says

"Me too." Katie says

"Same with us." Danny says

"We're here for you, Shara." Riley says

Shara looked at each of her friends and smiled. They were all willing to help her take care of her son.

"Thank you, guys." Shara says

The female Keyblade Master turned to her son, lowered down to his level, and rubbed his head.

"Devon, you've got friends here waiting for you. We all love you, and we're gonna take care of you until you wake up." Shara says

( _Moments later_ )

As she promised, Shara cared for Devon, devoting her entire time to watch over her son. She made sure he drank water often to ensure he wouldn't get dehydrated. She also made sure he had plenty of nourishment, forcing a few spoonfuls of broth or warm milk into his mouth. Infernius, Krysia, and Ty dropped by every now and then to give their friends company and helped Shara take care of Devon in anyway they could. Ty often laid down alongside his best human friend on his bed, never leaving his side. Even Riley, Danny, Nicole, and Katie stopped by to give them company.

To help pass the time, Shara told her friends about her journey, her friends, Terra, Ventus, and Aqua, and even Devon's destiny to become the Legendary Keyblade Master. The three dragons, two brothers and their saurian girlfriends were very intrigued upon listening to Shara's story and were determined more than ever to help her.

Seconds turned to minutes. Minutes turned to hours. Hours turned to days. Days turned to weeks. As time dragged on, Shara and her friends held true to their faith and prayed that Devon would wake from his coma soon.

( _One month later_ )

Nearly a month had passed and Devon was still in his coma. Shara was home alone with her son, sitting in his bedroom. She sat on the bed, rubbing her son's head.

 _"It's been a month now and he hasn't woke up yet."_ Shara thought to herself

Shara looked down at her son with a sad look on her face. She was starting to lose her faith. And knowing what Lord Thanatos had done to him, she feared that her son would never wake up. Her heart began to fill with despair at the thought of losing her son forever to his coma. But then suddenly, the dreadful feelings that had gripped her heart immediately went away as she heard the Inheritor's voice speak in her head.

 ** _"Your son needs you to believe. Although his heart dwindles in the darkness, he will be looking for the light to show him the way home. As long as you love him, as long as you hold true to your faith, Devon will awaken from his slumber and he will return to you. He needs you to believe in the light. He needs your light to guide him back home."_**

The sound of the Inheritor's voice rekindled hope in Shara's heart. He was right. Shara needed to believe that her son would awaken from his coma. She needed to have faith. She knew her child was strong. And so was the light in his heart. As the hopeful thoughts of her son's awakening flowed through her, one thing did come into her mind. Something that she believed would help her child most: her favorite song. A song she would often sing to her son to soothe him to sleep. And it always brought warm feelings to both their hearts. As thus, the loving mother began to sing to her sleeping child.

 _One day you will realize_

 _The stars you are chasing shine bright deep inside you_

 _But will you ever let it shine from within?_

 _And cast all of your fears aside_

 _You'll see the light, but until that day comes..._

As she sung her song, memories began appearing in Shara's mind. The first was of her and Ducar watching Devon as he slept in his bedroom back in the Land of Departure. Another memory showed her watching her son play with his father using wooden swords to spar with each other.

 _My Dearly Beloved_

 _Be strong, I shall be there_

 _Always here beside you_

 _So keep your head held up high_

More memories began flowing into Shara's mind as she continued to sing. One was of her getting ready to depart for her journey from the Land of Departure with her son standing infront of her. In her memory, she kneeled down to her child and kissed him on the cheek, giving him a smile.

 _The shadows of this world will try to steal you away into their arms_

 _But you belong in mine_

Still, more memories flashed through Shara's mind. One was of her, Ducar, Terra, Ventus, and Aqua standing up against Lord Thanatos, Master Xehanort, and Vanitas as they held Devon hostage. Another memory showed Shara jumping up and reaching for her son and grabbing his hand after the X-blade had exploded.

 _We are one within a dream_

 _So hold me close and count the stars with me_

 _All our scattered memories_

 _I will find the pieces, one by one_

Shara looked out through the bedroom window, gazing out at the beach, watching the waters wash up along the shore, continuing her song.

 _Ocean waves drift over me_

 _I'll keep you in my memory_

 _This dream that lives within your eyes_

 _I wish to see it come to life_

One final memory flashed through Shara's mind as she was getting close to the end of her song. This memory showed her standing outside the Celestial Temple with Devon in her arms. She looked up at the bright star which was the Celestial Realm, then looked down at her comatose son. Her necklace glowed with light, making her look down at it. Holding her son in one arm, she summoned her Keyblade: Faithful Salvation into her right-hand and opened a blue portal of light. She then walked into the portal with her son.

 _A thousand blades unto the sky (My Dearly Beloved. Be strong, I shall be there.)_

 _Reach out and link our worlds, yours and mine (Always here beside you. So keep your head held high.)_

 _Let the tide rush over you (The shadows of this world. Will try to steal you away into their arms.)_

 _And one day I know we shall meet again (But you belong in mine)_

 _My Dearly Beloved_

( _Elsewhere_ )

Deep within the far reaches of his mind, Young Devon was still following the glowing star as it led him through the darkness. But then, a voice spoke out from the darkness. It sounded like a woman singing.

 _One day you will realize_

 _The stars you are chasing shine bright deep inside you_

 _But will you ever let it shine from within?_

 _And cast all of your fears aside_

 _You'll see the light, but until that day comes..._

As soon as he heard the voice, Devon immediately recognized it. He knew whose voice it was. It was his mother singing her song to him.

"That's my mom! She's singing the song I like!" Devon exclaims

Up ahead, a bright light shined through darkness, appearing as a corridor of light, beckoning the small boy to come forward and head inside.

 _"Go to her. She's waiting for you to wake up."_

Devon nodded in agreement and began running toward the corridor of light. Just as he reached it, he stopped and turned to look at the star.

"Thank you." Devon says

 _"May the light in your heart shine brightly, child. Always..."_

The glowing star flew up into the sky, disappearing into the darkness. Devon watched as the star flew away, then directed his attention toward the corridor of light.

"I'm coming, mom." Devon says

With that said, the small child ran forward into the light with every intention of reuniting with his mother.

( _The Celestial Realm_ )

Still in Devon's Bedroom, Shara had just finished her song and she let out a sigh. She lowered down to her son and kisses him on his forehead.

"I love you, Devon." Shara says in a soft voice

Having said that, Shara got up from the bed and began to head out of the room. But before she completely left the room, she heard her son utter a tired moan which immediately made her stop dead in her tracks. She turned around and let out a gasp of astonishment as she watched with widened eyes as her beloved son began to wake up. Devon slowly opened his eyes and rubbed them a bit, rubbing away the sleepiness. He slowly sat upright and looked right at his astonished mother.

"Mom." Devon says

"Devon..." Shara gasps

Tears of joy began streaming down Shara's face as she saw that her son was now fully awake.

"Devon!" Shara exclaims

In no less than a second, Shara immediately embraced her son in a big hug. Devon returned the hug with one of his own, wrapping his arms around her.

"I love you, mom." Devon says

"I love you too, Devon. I love you so much." Shara sobs

Both mother and son continued sharing their love and stayed with each other throughout most of the night before they soon fell asleep together. It was another miracle brought to life. Devon was finally awake.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Okay, so this chapter introduces some new OCs who are residents of the Celestial Realm. Three dragons, Infernius, a fire dragon, Krysia, an ice dragoness, and Ty, their young dragon hatchling. And two human brothers, Riley and Danny, along with their saurian girlfriends, Nicole and Katie. They have been friends with Devon, Shara, and Ducar before they met Terra, Ventus, and Aqua. So, you can tell they deeply care for them. For voice references, Krysia is voiced by Michelle Pfeiffer who portrayed Tzipporah from _Prince of Egypt_. Infernius is voiced by Val Kilmer who portrayed as Moses also from _Prince of Egypt_. Ty is voiced by Emjay Anthony who portrayed as Grey, one of the young wolves from _The Jungle Book (2016)_. Riley is voiced by Ben Affleck who portrayed as Rafe McCawley in _Pearl Harbor_. Danny is voiced by Josh Harnett who portrayed as Daniel "Danny" Walker also in _Pearl Harbor_. Nicole is voiced by Shannon Elizabeth who portrays as Serena St. Germaine from _007: Everything or Nothing_. And Katie is voiced by Bethany Brown who portrayed as Eris from the _Legend of Chima Series_. For the song at the end, all credit goes to AmaLee for the vocal cover of Dearly Beloved. And hey, Devon's finally awake! Now, we shall get to see even more of the Celestial Realm and meet more of it's residents! Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	39. Starlight Town

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Celestial Realm_ )

A new day came upon the Celestial Realm as the sun rose over the sea's horizon. The morning light gave off a golden color as it slowly ascended into the sky.

Shara was laying on her right-side on the leather couch out in the living room with her son laying on his side right alongside her. Shara's left-arm was over Devon, holding him close to her. Both were sound asleep. Shara began to awaken as she slowly opened her eyes. When she was fully awake, she quickly noticed that her beloved child was sleeping peacefully against her side. The loving mother smiled and looked up at the large window infront of her, gazing upon the beautiful sea. She then proceeded to wake up her son, gently rubbing and patting his shoulder.

"Devon, sweetheart, it's time to get up." Shara says

Devon let out a tired moan as he started to wake up. He sat upright and stretched his arms.

"It's morning already?" Devon asks

"Yep. And we have a beautiful day ahead of us." Shara says

Devon looked around and saw that he was in the living room with his mother. He got up from the couch and went around the house. He went through every room, refreshing every memory of his loving home. Shara watched with a smile on her face as her son explored the house. Then, she heard Devon's voice calling out for his father.

"Dad? Dad? Dad, where are you?" Devon calls

The smile that was on Shara's face quickly went away as she watched his son looked throughout the house for his father. His search soon ended and the little boy walked over to his mother, wondering where his father was.

"Mom, where's dad?" Devon asks

Shara always had a feeling this would come. She knew that she would have to tell her son of his father's fate.

"You're father..." Shara says

The female Keyblade Master stopped and let out a sigh.

"You're father's gone, Devon." Shara says

Devon felt rather confused as to what her mother was saying.

"Gone? What do you mean, mom?" Devon asks

"He died. He... sacrificed himself to save you, Devon." Shara says

The small boy was completely shocked as to what he had just heard from his mother. His father was dead?

"Dad's... gone?" Devon asks

Shara nodded her head. Devon's heart sank. A great pain of sorrow gripped his body. Tears began to stream down his face, flowing like small rivers. Devon was utterly heart-broken. As thus, he wept in sorrow.

"He can't be gone! I want my dad back!" Devon sobs

Shara couldn't bear to see her poor son consumed by his sorrow. She kneeled down to her sad child and embraced him in her arms, giving him comfort.

"Shh, I know, Devon. I know." Shara says in a soft voice

Shara rubbed her hand through Devon's hair, stroking it backwards.

"Now, you listen to me." Shara says

Devon looked up at his loving mother with some small bit of tears in his eyes. Shara rubbed away the tears with her right-thumb.

"Your father loved you. And you loved him. But I'm sure he would've wanted you to be strong. He believed in you. He always had faith in you. I want you to make him proud." Shara says

Shara pulled her Kingdom Hearts necklace over her head and placed it over her son's head, placing it around his neck.

"Here. I want you to have this." Shara says

Devon looked down at the necklace, holding it in his right-hand.

"You have a heart full of light, Devon. It shines bright, deep within you. In time, you will be able to wield that light as a weapon. It's rays will push back the darkness and you will become a great Keyblade Wielder just like me and your father." Shara says

"You think so?" Devon asks

"I do." Shara says with a smile

Shara's words helped put alot of inspiration into Devon's heart. All the sadness that had filled his soul started to fade away. His sorrow was now replaced with courage. With determination flowing through him, Devon smiled and nodded his head.

"Alright. I'll do it. When I get older, I'll be the best Keyblade Wielder ever. And someday, I'll make dad proud." Devon says

Shara looked at her son and saw the determination in his eyes. She smiled and placed her left-hand on his right-shoulder.

"That's the spirit, Devon. Remember this, no matter what happens, no matter where we go, your father and I will always be with you." Shara says

Shara takes hold of his son's right-hand with both her hands and places it over his chest, right where his heart was.

"In here." Shara says

Devon looked down at his chest and he felt a warm feeling in his heart. He then looked up at his mother with a cheerful smile on his face.

Suddenly, both mother and son both heard a voice at the front door.

"Shara? Are you awake?" A female voice asks

Shara walked to the door with her son and opened it. The voice belonged to the ice dragoness, Krysia. With her was her mate, Infernius, and their young dragon hatchling, Ty.

"Oh, hi, Krysia. Hi, Infernis. Good morning." Shara greets

"Morning, Shara." Infernius says

"We were going to head up to Starlight Town and we thought we'd drop by to check up on you and Devon." Krysia says

"I'm doing fine. And so is my son." Shara says

Devon walked up from behind his mother, surprising the two adult dragons.

"Oh, thank the stars. Devon's awake." Krysia says

The fire dragon lowered his head down to the small boy, giving him a smile.

"Hi there, Devon. I'm very happy to see you're awake." Infernius says

"Hi, Infernius." Devon says

"How are you feeling?" Infernius asks

"Okay." Devon says

"That's good to hear." Infernius says

Krysia turned her head and looked down at her hatchling.

"Ty, come see who's finally awake." Krysia says

Ty strode forward, moving in-between his parents. He looked ahead and saw that his best friend was awake. The small dragon was immediately filled with happiness and bustling with joy.

"Devon!" Ty exclaims

"Ty!" Devon exclaims

The little dragon rushed forward at Devon and playfully tackled him to the ground. He then began assaulting Devon with non-stop dragon licks, making the small boy laugh. Ty wagged his tail like there was no tomorrow as he continued to lick Devon's face. As soon as Ty was finished, Devon sat up and looked at his dragon friend with a smile full of happiness. Ty gave his best friend a smile of his own. The two then hugged each other with Devon wrapping his arms around the small dragon's neck and Ty standing on his hind legs and wrapping his paws around Devon, nuzzling him contently. The three parents watched with happy expressions as both their children loved each other.

"I'm so happy you're awake, Devon! I was afraid you'd stay asleep forever." Ty says

"It's okay now, Ty." Devon says

Ty gently nuzzled himself against Devon.

"I missed you so much." Ty says

"I missed you too." Devon says

Devon rubbed his hands gently along Ty's smooth scales.

"Hey, we're heading into town. You wanna come with us. C'mon! I'll race ya!" Ty says

In no less than a second, the young dragon took off running.

"Hey! Wait up!" Devon says

The young boy went chasing after the dragon hatchling, running up the paved road which led to a small neighborhood settled in an open field. Their parents followed in the same path they went as they began their walk toward the metropolis up ahead, passing by the beach-side neighborhood.

"Don't go to far ahead, you two!" Krysia calls out

"And don't trip!" Shara calls out

"We won't!" Devon calls out

Ty was already in the lead with Devon hot on his tail, trying to catch up.

"I'm going alot faster than you, Devon! You'll need to go faster if you wanna catch up with me!" Ty says

"Aw, come on, Ty! Huff... Huff... You got four legs! I've only got two! Huff... Huff... I can't run like you do!" Devon says

While the small boy and dragon hatchling played their racing game, Shara spoke with the two adult dragons.

"I'm so happy that Devon is awake now." Krysia says

"Seems that Ty is just as happy too." Infernius says

"It's been so long since Devon and Ty have played together. They have alot to catch up on." Shara says

Infernius and Krysia both agreed on that. Devon and Ty were both the best of friends. Since the day they left, Ty was very sad to watch Devon and his family go. But now that he was back, he could make up for all the time that he had missed with him.

"So, Shara, did you tell him... about what happened to Ducar?" Infernius asks

"Yes. I did. He took the loss very hard. He was heart-broken." Shara says

"The poor boy. Losing his father to an evil being like Lord Thanatos. It truly is heart-breaking." Krysia says

"It's a good thing he's got you, Shara." Infernius says

"So, The Inheritor said that Devon might become a Keyblade Wielder like you someday?" Krysia asks

"Yes, but he said he's too young to wield a Keyblade of his own yet. I have to take care of him until he's old enough. It's what I promised Ducar." Shara says

"Well, I'd say you're doing a very good job." Infernius says

"Thanks." Shara says

"Still, I find it hard to believe that your son is destined to become a Legendary Keyblade Master." Krysia says

"I'll admit, I always felt that Devon was special, but I was a bit surprised when I learned of his destiny. If my son is fated to become the Legendary Keyblade Master, then I'll be with him every step of the way. I believe in him." Shara says

"If you believe in him, Shara, then so do we." Infernius says

After walking for several minutes, the group soon arrived at their destination.

"Well, here we are. Starlight Town." Krysia says

( _Starlight Town_ )

The three dragons and two humans walked through the town gates and gazed upon the beautiful town.

Starlight Town was a metropolis that was the center of activity in the Celestial Realm and was considered to be one of the liveliest towns in the world. The town was divided into five sections: the Entertainment District, Medical District, Shopping District, Gardens District, and the Central Plaza where Devon, Shara, Infernius, Krysia, and Ty now stood in.

The Central Plaza was the main district in the center of the town that connected to the other districts. In the center of the plaza was a massive, light blue marble fountain that constantly flowed with pure water. The fountain had two bowls, a small one up top, and a large one as the base. At the very top of the fountain was a four-sided crystal star.

Up ahead was a colossal castle that towered above the town. It's name: Starlight Castle. The castle gates to the castle lied north of the Central Plaza. There was also a large clock tower placed upon the castle gates.

The group watched as humans, dragons, saurians, gryphons, unicorns, centaurs, satyrs, fauns, and other animals and mythical creatures walked throughout the town, going about their daily lives. They then walked over to the fountain and took a seat nearby. Shara sat on the ring of the fountain. Infernius and Krysia sat alongside each other on her right. The ice dragoness was closest to Shara with her mate sitting on the opposite side of her. And Devon sat right alongside his mother with Ty on her left.

"So, how have things been since we left?" Shara asks

"Oh, not much. It's been quiet." Infernius says

"The Battle Royale is coming up in a few days, and everyone's looking forward to it." Krysia says

"I remember back when Ducar competed in the tournament. Every year, he was the reigning champion. No one could match his skills. Not even me." Infernius says

"You and him both fought well. It certaintly was a heated match." Krysia says

"Yeah, he and dad were awesome!" Ty says

"But since Ducar is now gone, I'm guessing Cedric is now the champion, right?" Shara asks

"Yeah, he is. He became the champion since you guys left." Infernius says

"Darel came close once or twice to beating him in the past years, but he managed to hold out." Krysia says

"I wonder how this year will turn out." Shara says

"I guess we'll just wait and see." Infernius says

As they sat at the fountain, the group saw Danny, Riley, Nicole, and Katie walking into the plaza from the town gates.

"Oh, there's Danny and Riley." Shara says

"And Nicole and Katie." Krysia says

"Seems like they hardly seperate." Infernius says

Shara waved her right-arm to the two brothers and saurians, catching their attention. The four friends saw them and they waved back. They walked on over and greeted each other.

"Hey, guys." Shara greets

"Hi." Danny and Riley greet in unison

"Hey." Katie greets

"Nice to see you all here. What's up?" Nicole says

"Guess who's awake." Krysia says

The group turned their head over to Devon who smiled. The two humans and saurians were very surprised to see Shara's son awake from his coma. But nevertheless, they were very happy.

"Devon! You're awake!" Katie exclaims

Katie and Nicole both lowered down to Devon's level and they both hugged him. The small boy laughed as the two female saurians hugged him.

"When did he wake up?" Danny asks

"Last night. I was sitting in his room, watching over him. But when I got up to leave, he woke up. It was a miracle." Shara says

"I'm sure it was." Riley says

"Still, it makes me want to go after the damn creep who put him to sleep like that." Danny says

"Same here. Anyone who messes with one of us messes with all of us." Riley says

"I know how you both feel. I felt the exact same way. But I'm just glad that Devon is alright. That's all that matters now." Infernius says

Danny and Riley both nodded their heads in agreement, knowing that the fire dragon was right.

"Yeah, you're right." Danny says

"So, what were you guys talking about?" Riley asks

"The Battle Royale. It's coming up in a few weeks." Shara says

"Oh, right. Danny, Riley, aren't you both going to be in the tournament?" Katie asks

"Damn straight." Danny and Riley say in unison

"Ain't no way we're missing out on this." Danny says

"We're definitely ready for this year. You can count on that." Riley says

"Well, what happens when the two of you are gonna be fighting?" Nicole asks crossing her arms

The two brothers looked at each other upon hearing that. They knew that they would both have to fight sometime in the tournament, but that didn't bother them.

"Well, then I guess we're both gonna have to give it all we got." Danny says

"Right." Riley says nodding his head

"What about you, Shara? Are you gonna be in the tournament?" Danny asks

All eyes turned to Shara at the sound of that question. The female Keyblade Master stared at Danny surprisingly. She then looked down to ponder her thoughts. She thought back to the years prior to her departure. Every year when Ducar competed in the tournament, Shara had always cheered for him on the sidelines. She had never once participated in the tournament. But on the other hand, the event could prove as a chance to show her friends all her skills with her Keyblade. It was what Ducar would've wanted. And she already knew her son would want her to be in the tournament as well. She also felt that seeing her fight with her Keyblade would inspire Devon to become a Keyblade Wielder even more. And what was the harm in having a little fun? After all, she and Aqua did take part in the Games in the Olympus Coliseum and they both came out as champions. With a confident smile on her face, Shara gave her answer.

"You know what? I think I will." Shara says

Everyone was surprised by Shara's answer. She was going to fight in the tournament? No one ever expected this from her.

"Shara? You're going to be in the tournament? Why?" Krysia asks

"It's what my husband would've wanted. Ducar was the reigning champion. I figure it would only be right if I took his place in the tournament. Besides..." Shara says

Shara stretched her right-hand out and summoned her Keyblade: Faithful Salvation into her hand.

"I'm a Keyblade Master now. Don't you guys want to see what I've learned from my journey?" Shara says

All of Shara's friends looked at each other upon hearing that. Truth be told, they did want to see what Shara could do with her Keyblade. After a few moments of silence, they all agreed to let Shara enter the tournament.

"Okay, Shara. If you're really willing to do this for Ducar, then we won't stop you." Infernius says

Devon and Ty were both really excited with this outcome. They were going to see Shara fight in the tournament.

"Alright, mom!" Devon says

"I can't wait to see you fight, Shara." Ty says

Shara smiled and nodded at the two children. She felt she had made the right choice in wanting to participate in the Battle Royale tournament. Her husband had always been the reigning champiion. It was only right that she took his place.

( _Moments later_ )

The group walked into the Entertainment District and saw lots of people hanging out and having fun here.

The Entertainment District was an area embellished with many bright lights and decorations such as colorful streamers and balloons. Within this area was a series of games that the citizens could play for their enjoyment. There was Target Practice, Discus Toss, Kart Racing, and a bunch of other social activities. There was also a few food stands in the area such as the ice cream shop and pizza stand.

"It's nice to see everyone here having fun." Infernius says

Devon and Ty watched as some of the other kids played with each other. Some played with wooden swords while others played with rainbow-colored glowing balls of light, tossing and bouncing them back and forth to each other. The young dragon saw a glowing ball nearby and a grin formed on his face.

"Hey, Devon!" Ty says

"Huh?" Devon says

The small boy turned around and saw his dragon friend standing next to the round ball with his tail wagging happily.

"Catch!" Ty says

Ty takes his tail and bats the ball towards Devon. As his tail hit the ball, it gave off a blue glow, reacting to his touch. Devon caught the ball with his hands.

"Right back at ya!" Devon says

Devon tosses the ball up into the air and sends it over to Ty, hitting it like a volleyball. The two were soon hitting the ball back and forth to each other. Each hit made the ball glow with it's light. The group watched the young boy and dragon hatchling enjoy their little game and smiled.

"It's nice to see they're having fun." Krysia says

Shara nodded in agreement to that. She then looked off toward her left and saw a tall, handsome, young man sitting at a table with his feet up on another chair, eating a box of pizza with slice in his right-hand.

"Hey, there's Darel." Shara says

The two dragons, humans, and saurians followed Shara's gaze and saw the man across from them.

Darel was as stated a young man who had a cool, calm, laid-back personality, but he also has a caring heart as he values family and friends very highly. He was also a close friend of Ducar and respected him a great deal. Like Shara and Ducar, Darel had a strong sense of justice.

He had slightly tan skin, turquoise eyes, short black hair, and a muscular physique. He also had a large moon crest tattoo on his chest.

He wore a ragged, black sleeveless jacket over his bare torso, tight, black leather pants, black fingerless gloves, three black belts on his forearms, and black military-styled boots. He also had two black leather holsters strapped around his waist in which he carries his two semi-automatic pistols. Around his neck was a silver chain necklace that held a clear, blue crystal shard.

He had a long, silver-colored, double-edged sword in a black sheath strapped to his back. The forward-facing edge of the sword curved outward to form the guard. The crossguard extended diagonally outwards. The handguard was heavily designed with rings slanting down and reversing at the center. The pommel consisted of six spikes.

As stated, he also had two semi-automatic pistols that had customized features. Both pistols were black, had combat sights, ergonomic wood grips, and pivot-style triggers with rounded trigger-guards. They also had silver-plated magazine releases, spur hammers, safety switches, and triggers. Another feature was the ported muzzle compensators that reduce recoil and counteract muzzle flip. Both barrels extended through the compensators and were ported to match the cuts in the compensators. Both guns also had custom slides which were thickened and reinforced along the slide travel rails and around the chamber and firing mechanism. The rails of the guns were bolted to the forward portion of both frames in order to hold the compensators in place. The two guns also had ejection ports on the exterior opposite of each other to eject the spent brass away from Darel.

The group walked over to Darel who noticed their approach and gave them a two-fingered salute.

"Hey, guys. What's up?" Darel says

Darel noticed that Shara was with the group and was a bit surprised to see she was back.

"Shara. Haven't seen you in a while. How've ya been?" Darel says

"Hi, Darel. I've been great." Shara says

"When did you get back?" Darel asks

"About a month ago." Shara says

Darel looked at Shara with a raised eyebrow.

"You got back home last month and I haven't seen you at all? What've you been doing?" Darel asks

"Taking care of my son. It's a bit of a long story." Shara says

Devon and Ty took a break from their game and saw that the group was talking with Darel. Deciding that they had enough of their fun, the two decided to join them. They walked on over and stood by their parents.

"Hey, kids. You having a good time hanging out together?" Darel says

The boy and dragon looked at each other, then back at Darel and nodded.

"Yep." The two kids say in unison

"Glad to hear it." Darel says

Darel took out a pizza slice from the box and gave it to Devon.

"Here." Darel says

Devon smiled as he took the slice.

"Thank you." Devon says

Devon was just about to take a bite out of the slice, but then he looked at Ty. Being the kind child that he was, Devon split the slice in half and shared it with Ty. The dragon hatchling smiled and gobbled up the pizza slice happily. The adults smiled at the moment the kids were having. Darel looked at the group and noticed that Ducar wasn't with them.

"Hey, I just noticed that Ducar isn't with you guys. Where is he?" Darel asks

The group looked at each other with sad looks and they stood silent. Darel saw the sad expressions on their faces and he could only guess that something terrible happened to Ducar. He straightened himself up in his seat as he looked at the group with concerned expression clear on his face.

"No. Don't tell me. Is he...?" Darel says

Shara looked up at Darel and nodded her head. A solemn expression came upon Darel's face. And in that moment, he felt pain in his heart. It was the pain of sorrow, which was not very common in a guy like him. He just couldn't believe it. His friend, Ducar, was dead. Darel hung his head low and closed his eyes. He gripped his right-hand into a fist and pounded the table gently, letting out a soft sigh.

"Oh, this really sucks. It hates to lose someone like Ducar. He was a good man. A great friend. He cared about a lot of people. He was a very respectable man. Even I respected him. Now, he's gone." Darel says

"We all loved him." Krysia says

Everyone nodded in agreement. Ducar was their best friend. And to lose a friend like him was truly heart-breaking. Deciding to change the subject, Darel looked up at Shara.

"So, Shara, you said you've been watching over your son this past month. Why? Did something happen?" Darel asks

Shara looked down at her son who returned the gaze.

"Actually, yes." Shara says

Shara looked back up at Darel.

"You see, Darel, over the past month, Devon was in a coma." Shara says

Darel was a bit surprised to hear this. He'd been wondering why he hadn't seen Shara since she had returned. And now he had his answer.

"Your son was in a coma? For a whole month?" Darel asks

"Yeah." Shara says

"But how? How'd he wind up in a coma?" Darel asks

Shara let out a sigh, knowing that she would have to tell Darel the whole story.

"Darel... I think it's best I'd start up from the top." Shara says

Over the next few of hours, Shara told her story to Darel. She told him everything. Her journey. All the worlds she visited. The people she met. Lord Thanatos. The Unversed. Devon's prophesized destiny. Darel was very intrigued by what he was hearing from Shara. Eventually, the female Keyblade Master finished her story.

"So, I waited for a whole month for Devon to wake up, and eventually he did. I was very relieved when my son woke up. It was a miracle." Shara says

"Wow, Shara. Seems like you've both been through a lot. I can honestly say I'm speechless." Darel says

Darel turned his gaze down to Devon who looked up at him.

"Well, little man, sounds like you've got a lot ahead of you and a lot to look forward to. I'm sure you'll do your father proud someday." Darel says

"I will." Devon says

Shara kneeled down to her son and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"I know you will. And I know you'll do me proud too, right?" Shara says

Devon turned his head to look back up at his mother. With determination flowing through him and a confident look on his face, the little boy nodded his head at his mother.

"I like the fire in your eyes, Devon. You be sure to keep it burning, you hear me?" Darel says pointing to Devon

Devon looked up at Darel and nodded at him as well.

"Awesome." Darel says giving Devon a thumbs-up

"Well, it was nice catching up with you again, Darel. We'll go take a walk around the town." Shara says

"Alright. See ya later. Don't be strangers." Darel says

Darel gave a two-fingered salute with his right-hand as the group left the district.

( _Moments later_ )

After visiting the Entertainment District, the group came into the Gardens District to look upon the beautiful plants that grew here.

The Gardens District was a large area filled with many plants of varying varieties. The district was surrounded by a waterway which can be crossed via the wooden bridge.

The group crossed over the bridge and walked into the gardens. Devon and Ty looked down and saw that ground was covered with moss that was touch-sensitive. Their footsteps in reaction to the moss sent out rings of blue-green light. This made them both laugh. The young boy and dragon hatchling began running around, making the ground light up with their footsteps. The adults looked on with smiles on their faces as they watched the kids have fun. Devon and Ty soon stopped and gazed upon the amazing plants that surrounded them. Many of the plants here glowed with light, making the garden look even more beautiful. Devon and Ty both gazed upon the plants in amazement and wonder. Even the adults stared in wonder.

The first plant that caught their eye was the Warbonnet which were large, fern-like plants that had colorful, iridescent blue leaves which reflected light.

The next plant they saw was the Dapophet which were medium-sized plants that have fleshy, succulant blue leaves on the top that had incredible healing properties. These plants were used to soothe skin and increase the healing of cuts and other injuries. The leaves could also be ground up and ingested to soothe upset stomachs and cure other intestinal ailments.

Another amazing plant their eyes laid on was the Binary Sunshine which were tall plants with enclosed bulbous structures that resembled Earth-made lamps. Their leaves glowed with light, usually emitting a blue color, but they also glow green and purple. Some of these plants were sometimes used for lighting in homes as decorations.

"I never get tired of visitng this place." Infernius says

"The plants here are so beautiful." Krysia says

"They sure are." Shara says

Suddenly, Shara saw something that took her breath away. She saw a transparent image of herself and Ducar standing amongst the exotic plants, looking upon them in amazement. Shara remembered what was happening before her. It was the time that they both came into the gardens.

 _"These plants are so beautiful." Shara says_

 _"Yes they are. You know what else is beautiful here?" Ducar says_

The Shara in the vision turned to look at her husband.

 _"What?" Shara asks_

Ducar took hold of Shara's left-hand with both his hands.

 _"You." Ducar says_

Shara watched as her past self stared at Ducar. But then, she saw a smile on her face.

 _"Shara... I love you." Ducar says_

 _"And I love you, Ducar." Shara says_

Shara watched as the two lovely couple embraced each other in their arms. Then, she saw them both kiss while the plants around them glowed with their beautiful colors, illuminating the moment. A flood of happy emotions flowed through Shara as she saw the romance unfold before her. But then, the vision faded away when Devon and Ty ran through them. Shara then hear a voice, snapping her back into reality.

"Shara?" A female voice says

Shara gasped a bit in reaction to the voice. Turning around, she saw that the voice belonged to Krysia who stood alongside her mate. Danny, Riley, Nicole, and Katie also stood with the dragons, looking at Shara confused.

"Are you alright?" Krysia asks

"Yes. I'm fine." Shara says

"What is it?" Infernius asks

"It's just... I remember being here with Ducar." Shara says

The female Keyblade Master turned back around and looked at the plants that surrounded her.

"We really loved coming here. Watching the plants grow. Watching them glow with light. It's what we both enjoyed." Shara says

The two dragons nodded in agreement as did the two human brothers and saurians.

( _Moments later_ )

Having left the Gardens District, the group moved on to their next stop: the Medical District.

The Medical District was an area where people were treated for injuries and illness. In the area were three large buildings: a nursery, a hatchery, and a medical center. The Nursery was a day-care center for children while their parents went away to do their own errands. The Hatchery was where newborn dragons and dinosaurs were hatched. And the Medical Center was for people that had serious injuries or sickness.

The group watched as doctors and nurses moved around the district to help with care for their patients whether they be humans, dragons, dinosaurs, or animals. Infernius, Krysia, and Ty looked off toward the Hatchery where they saw a red dragon and an orange dragoness walk out with their young dragon hatchling which was a red baby dragon.

Staring at the building, the two dragons remembered the day when Ty first hatched from his egg. It was years ago around the same time Devon was born. The two dragons stood infront of Ty's egg which was blue, staring at it with concerned expressions on their faces. Then, they watched as the egg cracked little by little. At the top of the egg, a small snout poked out, creating an opening for the baby dragon inside. Small bits of the egg shell broke off as the small dragon popped his head out. The baby dragon gazed up at his parents with his big, blue eyes and let out a happy squeal. The fire and ice dragon both lowered their heads down to their young hatchling and nuzzled him with such affection, purring contently. Infernius and Krysia would never forget that day.

Devon looked over to the right and saw a little boy like him with his two parents. A female saurian nurse kneeled down infront of the boy, applying a bandage to a small cut on his right-arm. The saurian appeared to be an anthro Velociraptor.

"There you go, sweetheart." The saurian nurse says with a smile

"Thank you." The little boy says

Feeling better now that the cut was covered, the little boy walked away with his parents. Shara saw what Devon had seen and they both had smiles on their faces.

Shifting her gaze, Shara turned and looked at the medical building that stood before her. As she looked at the building, Shara began to have a flashback.

( _Flashback_ )

In her flashback, Shara saw herself and Ducar in a room inside the medical center. With them was a female saurian nurse who appeared to be an anthro Lambeosaurus. Shara had been pregnant with four other children, but unfortunately, each of them had died due to premature birth. Now, there was the fifth child, ready to be born into the world.

Shara was laying on the medical bed and she was in a lot of pain, struggling to push the baby out. Ducar sat on a chair on her right-side, holding onto her hand. Using all her strength, Shara pushed with all her effort in delivering their child. Her grip on Ducar's hand was tight and it got tighter and tighter with ever push. And finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, their beloved son was born.

 _"Congratulations. It's a boy." The nurse says_

The hearts of Shara and Ducar bursted with happiness. The umbilical cord was cut off, the baby was cleaned off, and was wrapped up in a soft, white towel. The nurse gently placed the young baby into the arms of his mother who had a loving smile and tears of joy streaming down her face. The small infant looked up at his parents with his innocent baby blue eyes and gave out a giggle.

 _"Ducar, come look at our baby." Shara says_

Ducar looked down at his son with a smile clear on his face. Tears of joy rolled down his face as he spoke in a soft voice.

 _"My son." Ducar says_

Ducar gently took hold of his son, cradling the small baby in his arms. His smile was wide and his eyes were full of joy.

 _"Oh, Shara, he's beautiful." Ducar says_

As soon as Shara was able to walk after giving birth to her son, the lovely couple walked out of the medical center and brought Devon out to see the sun and breathe in the fresh air. Ducar gestured out to the world around him with his right-hand and introduced his newborn son to his beautiful home.

 _"Welcome to your new home, Devon. Welcome to the Celestial Realm." Ducar says_

Devon looked around with his blue eyes wide in wonder and let out a coo.

( _Present time_ )

Shara smiled after seeing that vision play out in her memory. A single tear of joy slid down her face. But then, she remembered the four pregnancies she had before Devon. Losing each of her previous children tore her heart to pieces. But when Devon was born, the empty void in her heart was restored. For everyday that passed, Shara was very grateful that her child was alive. She loved her son more than anything. Even life. If it would come to sacrificing herself to save her child, she would give her life to ensure her son would live on.

"You see this place, Devon? This was where you were born." Shara says

"Here?" Devon asks

"Yes. Your father and I were very happy to have you as our son. And we still are." Shara says

Shara's smile quickly went away as soon as Ducar crossed into her mind. She remembered how happy he was when Devon was born. She had never seen her husband so happy in all her life. She was now wishing that he with his family.

 _"If only you were still here, Ducar. Your son and I miss you so much."_ Shara thought to herself

( _Moments later_ )

Having left the Medical District, the group moved onto the next area which was the Shopping District.

The Shopping District was an area that housed multiple shops for things such as clothing, weapons, and accessories. Some of the shops were run by a moogle while others were run by the vendors that owned them. There was also stalls to display items of interest. One of the stalls had paintings of beautiful scenery. Another stall had beaded accessories such as necklaces and wristbands. And another stall had oriental vases and pots each uniquely decorated.

For weapons, there was a blacksmith shop where swords, daggers, axes, and shields were forged. Some were made for decoration while some were made to be sold as a means of defense. There was also a station for bows and crossbows.

Infernius and Krysia walked over to the stall that had the paintings and they really liked the design each of them had.

"Oh, look at this painting." Krysia says

The painting that caught their attention was a picture of a starry night sky that had a bright, blue comet soaring across the stars with dozens of smaller comets in the background.

"And look at this one." Krysia says

The next painting their eyes laid on displayed a blue-green oval-shaped nebula which looked like the remnants of a supernova explosion.

"And how about this one." Infernius says

The third painting had a beautiful rainbow-colored aurora dazzling the night sky with it's luminous glow, reflecting over the ocean surface.

"These are such marvelous pictures." Infernius says

The vendor who was a white male human was very pleased to see that the two dragons admired his paintings. He had dark brown hair and eyes. He wore brown shoes, blue jeans, and a white polo shirt underneath a dark blue vest with black buttons.

"I'm glad you think so. There are many people who see wonder and beauty in the stars above. I actually happen to admire the stars myself." The vendor says

The two dragons looked at each of the paintings and decided to get one as a gift for Shara.

"We would like this painting please." Krysia says

Krysia pointed with her right-paw at the painting with the rainbow-colored aurora. She thought that Shara would absolutely love the painting. It was just something she had to get for her. Infernius had the same idea his mate did. He was pretty sure that Shara would love the painting as well. Both of the dragons were very certain of their pick.

"Of course. That'll be 50 munny." The vendor says

While the two dragons were purchasing the painting, the two human brothers and their saurian girlfriends were looking at some of the beautiful pottery that were on display.

"Oh my gosh. Look at these wonderful vases." Katie says

Some of the vases on display were oriental, being made out of wood or glass. Others were made from clay.

One vase made out of glass had a spiral design going all the way up to the top which opened up like a flower.

Another vase was a tall, dark blue, rounded vase that was decorated with glittering stars. Also imprinted on the vase were different comets. Some of the comets had one tail while others had two or multiple tails.

"They're very neat looking." Riley says

"I like this one." Nicole says pointing with her right-claw

The vase Nicole was pointing at was a four-sided wooden vase that had intricate shapes carved into it's sides. Mostly, these shapes resembled the sun, moon, and stars. For the shape of the sun it was a circle with eight trianglar points surrounding it. The moon was shaped like a crescent moon. And the stars were four-point stars. The shapes also had colored crystals, mostly green, blue, and purple to fill their empty spaces.

"That vase is very decorative." Danny says

"We should get it for Shara." Riley says

"Yeah. It'll be our gift to her." Katie says

"Her 'welcome home' gift." Nicole says

The vendor who was a black male african American saw the four friends looking to purchase the wooden vase. He had dreadlocks for hair and dark brown eyes. He wore a dark blue robe with gold trim, brown pants, and brown sandals.

"Ah, so you wish to purchase this vase. Well, I'd be more than happy to sell it to you, my friends. The price for the vase is 100 munny." The vendor says

While everyone else was buying stuff from the vendors, Shara looked at the stores, remembering each one that she had visited. But then, her eyes laid on the blacksmith shop where she remembered the day that she and Ducar went to pick up his order for a sword. As she looked at the store, she saw another memory of her past appear before her.

Shara saw herself and Ducar standing outside the shop with a longsword in Ducar's hand.

This sword had a long, double-edged silver blade. The crosstree extended outwards in a straight line. In the ends of the crosstree were blue crystal diamonds. There was also another crystal diamond laid into the center of the crosstree and another in the pommel. The grip of the sword was that of black leather. And engraved into the lower-half section of the blade were majestic fire-breathing dragons.

Ducar was very impressed with the design of the sword and he admired it.

 _"This is a nice sword."_

Ducar took a few practice swings with the sword while Shara watched.

 _"I think it suits you well."_

Ducar looked at his wife and smiled. The two then looked at the blacksmith who was a tall man that had a muscular build indicating he had been forging weapons all his life. He had a bald head and tan skin. He wore a black tank top, dark blue jeans, and black boots.

 _"I trust you are happy with your sword, Ducar?"_

 _"Yes. I am quite pleased with the design of this sword. It is perfect for my position in the Celestial Guard. I will wield this sword with honor. My compliments to your skills."_

 _"Thank you, Ducar. Always happy to hear that my skills are appreciated."_

Shara and Ducar both waved good-bye to the blacksmith and they walked away.

Shara stared at the shop watching her past self and husband walk away and approach her. Just as it seemed they were about to reach her, they soon faded away into memory. Devon looked up at his mother confused.

"Mom? What is it?" Devon asks

"I just remembered. This is where your father got his sword before he became a Keyblade Wielder." Shara says

"Really?" Devon asks

"Yes." Shara says

Suddenly, Shara heard Katie's voice calling out to her.

"Hey, Shara!" Katie says

"Huh?" Shara says

The female Keyblade Master and her son turned around and saw that their friends had gifts for them. Infernius, Krysia, and Ty had the painting with the rainbow-colored aruora. And Danny, Riley, Nicole, and Katie had the wooden vase.

"These are for you. They're gifts from us." Katie says

Shara stared at her friends in surprise, but then a smile formed on her face. She was soon overwhelmed with joy and happiness. Even though she had lost Terra, Ventus, and Aqua, she still had friends here in the Celestial Realm. Friends who cared about her and her son.

"Aw, thank you, guys. I'm really glad I still have you as my friends." Shara says

The three dragons, two brothers, and two saurians smiled. They all wanted to make Shara and Devon happy since they had lost Ducar. And apparently, they succeeded.

( _Later that night_ )

It was now night time and the sun had set. The stars filled the dark sky with their sparkling light, dazzling down on the Celestial Realm. Shara and Devon were now back in their home and were preparing themselves for the next day. The young boy was all wrapped up underneath his blanket while his mother sat down alongside him.

"Time to get some rest, Devon. We've got a big day tomorrow. We're going on a trip around the island to visit more of our friends." Shara says

Devon was already feeling excited about visiting the rest of the island. He was so excited that Shara wondered if he would ever go to sleep.

"I can't wait!" Devon says feeling excited

That excitement soon went away when he thought about Ty and his parents. Would they be coming along for the trip? Or will they be staying behind?

"Mom, do you think Ty and his mom and dad will come with us?" Devon asks

Shara wasn't so sure herself. She knew that Infernius was a member of the Celestial Guard and that his place was here at Starlight Town. And Krysia had to stay and watch over their son.

"I'm not sure, Devon. Infernius has his duties to attend to. And Krysia is going to be busy taking care of Ty." Shara says

The small boy felt a little disheartened to hear this, but nevertheless, he still felt excited about the trip.

"But let's not worry about that now." Shara says

Shara rubbed her hand through her son's hair.

"Get some rest." Shara says

Devon laid down on his right-side and rested his head on his soft pillow.

"Good-night, mom." Devon says

Shara bent down and kissed her son's forehead.

"Good-night, sweetheart." Shara says

Shara got up and walked out of the bedroom while her precious son closed his eyes and went to sleep. She walked out into the living room and looked up at the wall on her right where the picture of the beautiful aurora was hung up. Shifting her gaze, she looked over at the top left corner of the room where the crystal decorated wooden vase stood. Shara smiled at the gifts her friends gave her. Settling down on the couch, she laid down on her back, rested her head against the right-arm of the couch, and closed her eyes.

The following days would prove to be quite a trip for the two of them. For in the days to come, they would embark on a journey around the Celestial Realm, visiting the other towns and villages, meeting more of the residents that shared the world they lived in.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Welcome to the beautiful world of the Celestial Realm. Here, we see more of Devon's beautiful homeworld and meet the people who live here in this wonderous paradise. This chapter also introduces another one of my OC's: Darel, a young man who happens to be another one of Ducar's friends. And we see a little bit of background of Devon's family as Shara has memories of her past before the events of Birth by Sleep began. From the romantic moment in the Gardens District to Devon's miraculous birth. Now, it's time to visit more of the Celestial Realm. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	40. A journey among paradise

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _Starlight Town_ )

It was a bright, sunny morning and Shara and Devon were both walking in Starlight Town, getting ready for their trip around the Celestial Realm. With them was the three dragons: Infernius, Kryisa, and Ty. Also, the two humans: Danny and Riley, and their saurian girlfriends: Nicole and Katie decided to accompany them. Before she and her son would set out on their journey, Shara decided to pay King Ambrose a visit. With their friends following close behind, Shara and Devon walked through the castle gates and made their approach toward Starlight Castle.

The group walked across a small bridge over a moat and approached two giant doors. The doors were made of brown wood and had rings as handles. Guarding the doors were three human soldiers.

These soldiers wore black, leather hooded robes that had stylized metal plates across the torso. They also wore leather vambraces, black leather gloves and boots, and masks which covered their nose and mouths, leaving only their eyes exposed. The black masks had a grey four-sided star imprinted on them. The upper part of the robes featured two leather spaulders with a black cape attached, draping over and around both of the wearer's arms and shoulders. The lower part of the robes had a long and double layered, which parted at the sides. Around their waist was the Celestial Guard insignia, which was a rainbow-colored, four-sided star.

The captain of the two guards approached the group and stopped them.

"Halt. State your business." The captain says

Infernius stepped forward and spoke to the captain.

"I am Infernius, member of the Celestial Guard."

The fire dragon turned his head back towards the group behind him, gesturing the captain to them.

"With me is my mate, Krysia, and our hatchling, Ty. Also with us is Danny, Riley, Nicole, and Katie. And finally, there's Shara, and her son, Devon." Infernius says

Infernius looks back at the guard.

"We wish to visit King Ambrose. There is also something that we must address to him. It concerns the fate of the Celestial Guard's leader: Ducar." Infernius says

The guards slightly gasped upon hearing Ducar's name.

"We are all good friends of Ducar, as is the king, and we request that you grant us passage." Infernius says

The captain nodded in acknowledgement.

"Of course, Infernius. You and your friends are always welcome to the castle." The captain says

The captain turns to his fellow soldiers and gestures them to open the doors.

"Open the gates." The captain says

The two soldiers grabbed hold of the doors and pulled them open. The captain looks back toward the group and beckons them to follow him.

"My sincerest apologies. One can't be too careful after all. Please, follow me." The captain says

Passing through and following the captain, the group walked into the courtyard which had beautiful plants planted in grassy areas on the ground. In the middle of the courtyard was a large, white marble fountain that had three bowls flowing with water ontop of each other, creating small waterfalls. And sitting on the fountain was a man known as Cedric, reading from a copy of the holy bible.

Cedric was a calm, noble man who was appointed as a guardian for the Celestial Realm. He was also made leader of the Celestial Guard since Ducar and his family had left.

He had white skin, long, shoulder-length blond hair, and blue eyes.

He wore silver-bluish armor all over his body, except for his head. On his chest was a large, four-sided diamond star. He had a long blue scarf and had wings on the back of his armored boots. He also wore a large belt around his waist which also had a silver four-sided star on the buckle.

And strapped to his back was a large sword that had a thick, sturdy, double-edged blade and was straight and wide. The shaft of the blade was grey with silver edges. The sword also had a ring on both sides of the crossguard.

The knight was reading about the story of Exodus when Moses parted the Red Sea and led the Hebrews to freedom from slavery. That was when the captain approached him.

"Sir, the wife and son of Ducar has returned." The captain says

Cedric was surprised to hear this. Shifting his gaze from the book, the man looked up and saw the group standing infront of him. He closed the book and walked over to the group, stopping infront of Infernius. The two friends nodded at each other in greeting.

"Infernius, it's good to see you." Cedric says

"Nice to see you too, Cedric." Infernius says

Cedric looked off to the side and watched as Shara and Devon moved up to the front of the group. They stopped and stood before him, nodding their heads in greeting.

"Shara... Devon... You don't know how happy I am to see you here." Cedric says

"Cedric. Ducar... he's..." Shara says

The knight placed his right-hand on Shara's shoulder.

"I know. Darel told me. Ducar was a great man. A great leader. Many people saw the good of his heart. I did too. That was why me, Darel, and many others in the Celestial Guard followed him when he was our leader. And not only that..." Cedric says

Cedric looked down at the small boy who was Ducar's son.

"...he was a good, caring father to his own son." Cedric says

The knight kneeled down to Devon's level and looked at him with a calm, sincere expression on his face.

"Devon. I know you miss your father right about now. I do too. But always remember, even though he's gone, his spirit still lives on in your heart. I can see his courage within you." Cedric says

Cedric placed his right-hand on Devon's shoulder.

"I'm certain you will grow up to become a great man like he was." Cedric says

Devon nodded his head in acknowledgement. The knight stood up straight and looked at Shara as she spoke.

"I'm planning to explore the island with my son, seeing as we've been away for a while, but I was hoping we could see the king before then. If he's not too busy that is." Shara says

Cedric nodded his head.

"Follow me. I'll show you to him." Cedric says

The knight led the group through the courtyard and took them into the castle.

Up the stairs and through the doors of the castle, the group came into a massive two-level entrance hall. The hall featured a large crystal chandelier that hung overhead and a wide, marble staircase. There was also two doorways on opposite sides of the hall. The doorway to the left led to the dining room and the kitchen. And the one on the right led to the sparring room.

Continuing on, the group ascended the stairs. At the top of the stairs was three pathways. The center pathway led to the throne room. The pathway on the left led up to the library. And the pathway on the right led to the map room and the king's study.

Going down the right pathway, the group walked down the hallway. As they did, Devon looked down at the dark blue carpet and up at the glittering star wallpaper that lined the hall, passing him by.

Eventually, the group came into the king's study where King Ambrose sat at his wooden desk in a cushioned, wooden chair. The study had a circular map table representing the Celestial Realm to the right-side of the room not far from the desk. On the sides of the room were bookshelves filled with books. And there were two windows with their blue curtains spread open to help illuminate the room with the light of day.

Ambrose was a kind, wise, selfless old man who was the sage-king of the Celestial Realm, ensuring that peace and prosperity flourished throughout this beautiful world. Like all righteous rulers, Ambrose was always genuinely concerned about the welfare of his people and those he loved, such as Shara and her son. To this end, he chose a few brave individuals such as Infernius, Darel, and Cedric who were members of the Celestial Guard to protect the Celestial Realm should danger ever arise.

He had brown eyes, short white hair, a moustache, and a goatee. He also wore silver glasses to help with his eyesight.

For his attire, he wore a black robe with glowing, rainbow-colored symbols on his back. One symbol was an eight-pointed sun which was near the top of his back while the other symbol was a crescent-shaped moon placed just beneath it. His robe was also decorated with stars which glittered with light. Underneath his robe, he wore a white shirt. And his legs was covered by a long, black cloth lined with blue edges.

King Ambrose was with three other people: a male green dragon, a male dark brown anthro Allosaurus wearing a black shirt and black cargo shorts, and a white male human who had short brown hair and brown eyes, wearing a white shirt, dark blue jeans, and brown work boots. They were all making preparations for the Battle Royale in the upcoming days when they saw Cedric enter with the group.

"Oh, Cedric. I wasn't expecting you." Ambrose says

"Forgive me, Your Grace, but I have some visitors who wished to see you." Cedric says

Cedric stepped aside to present Shara and Devon. As soon as he saw the wife and child of Ducar, the king nearly fell backwards in his chair.

"Oh, well, this is quite a surprise!" Ambrose says

King Ambrose got up from his chair. As he did, he kindly requested his colleagues to leave.

"We will continue this discussion later, my friends." Ambrose says

The dragon, saurian, and human bowed to their king and gladly left the room, leaving Ambrose to welcome his new visitors, specifically Shara and Devon.

"Ahhh, Shara, my sweet, sweet girl. It is so good to see you again." Ambrose says

"Hello, Ambrose." Shara greets

The king embraced the female Keyblade Master in a big hug.

"I am so happy that you and your child have returned home. You cannot begin to imagine how much I've missed you. It has been so long." Ambrose says

After hugging Shara, the king kneeled down to Devon and looked at him with a cheerful look on his face.

"Hi there, Devon. How you've been?" Ambrose says

"Hi." Devon greets waving his right-hand with a smile

The king rubs Devon's head with his right-hand, making the small boy giggle.

( _Moments later_ )

The group was now with King Ambrose in his throne room.

The throne room was a large hall where King Ambrose sits and his people gather for meetings. The ceiling of the throne room was enchanted to look like the sky and mirror the weather without any of the negative effects. For example, at nighttime, the ceiling would be filled with stars, nebulas, and galaxies with some occasional shooting stars. The room was decorated with black flags bearing a reflective rainbow-colored sun, moon, and star symbol in a triangle pattern with the four-sided star up on the top, the sun on the bottom-left corner, and the crescent-shaped moon on the bottom-right corner. There was also a large stained glass window behind the king's throne where light shines through and helps illuminates the room.

King Ambrose stood infront of his throne, looking down at the group, specifically towards Shara and Devon.

"It brings me such joy to see you've come back. Everyone's been missing you ever since you left." Ambrose says

"It felt like we've been away for ages. It's been so long I've almost forgotten how good it felt to be back home to all the people that I love." Shara says

The happy look on Shara's face soon turned into a sorrowful expression when she thought about her husband.

"Although, I wish my husband made it back too." Shara says

The king held a solemn look on his face when he looked upon Ducar's wife. He knew that she missed her husband and all he could do was help comfort her. The kind man walked down the small steps of his throne and took hold of Shara's hands.

"I know what you mean, Shara. Darel has told me of what you said. My dear, I am so sorry for your loss." Ambrose says

The king let out a sigh.

"I can't imagine the sorrow that you, your son, and your friends have had to endure. I knew Ducar well enough by heart. We all did." Ambrose says

"I know." Shara says

"Ducar was a good man and I will see to it that he shall be remembered as one. I will have some of our sculptors build a memorial in his honor. He gave his life in his service to all. It's the least I could do for him." Ambrose says

"Thank you. This really means a lot to me and my son." Shara says

The king nodded his head in understanding. Changing the subject, Shara told King Ambrose about their trip around the island.

"I'd like you to know, sir. I plan to embark on a trip around the Celestial Realm with my son, since we've been away for so long. Do you mind if you could..." Shara says

"Say no more, my child. I will lend you some munny from the royal treasury. It will help finance your travels." Ambrose says

Shara was very happy to hear this and a smile formed on her face.

"Oh, thank you so much." Shara thanks

King Ambrose chuckles.

"Anything for you, my dear." Ambrose says

"Where is it you plan to go first?" Cedric asks

Shara thought to herself upon hearing that question. To the west, there was the Luminous Jungle where the Tsuwalia clan resided. To the north, there was Sky Peak Village where the Shaolin monks lived. To the east, there was the farming community of Lushfield and the seaside town of Seashore Port. And there was the underground city of Crystal Caves where the workers, miners, and engineers resided. It was a bit of a difficult decision, but Shara soon planned out their trip.

"I think what we'll do is we'll visit Lushfield first, and then we'll head to Seashore Port. From there, we'll take a boat to the north-east region and cross the desert to the City of Zaharus." Shara says

"And where will you go from there?" Ambrose asks

"We'll head underground to visit the diggers and engineers in Crystal Caves, then we'll climb up Mount Colossus to Sky Peak Village and visit the Shaolin monks. Finally, we'll visit the Luminous Jungle, stay with the Tsuwalia clan for a while, and return back here hopefully in time for the Battle Royale." Shara says

"Well, that does sound like a plan." Infernius says

"I couldn't agree more. You've got quite a journey ahead of you, Shara. But when will you be leaving?" Ambrose says

Shara looked down at her son who could hardly contain his excitement, then looked back up at the king with a smile on her face.

( _Moments later_ )

Shara and Devon were now outside the central plaza, sitting on a wagon with boxes of fruit and vegetables, ready to depart. The wagon was pulled by a brown horse with a white male villager driving it. The villager wore a straw hat, a white shirt, blue overalls, and brown boots. Infernius, Krysia, Ty, Danny, Riley, Nicole, and Katie stood by the wagon while everyone else in the plaza went about their usual day. Some of the citizens were curious as to the occasion and decided to gather round. As she sat on the wagon, the caring mother looked right at her son as he sat alongside her.

"This is it, Devon. Our big trip. You ready?" Shara says

"Yep! I can't wait!" Devon says

Ty walked up to the wagon and stood up on his hind legs to get up to Devon's level, leaning his paws on the wagon.

"I wish I could go with you, Devon." Ty says

"I know, Ty. I was hoping you'd come too. But you belong here with your mom and dad." Devon says

The dragon hatchling nuzzled himself against the small boy, letting out a soft coo of content. Devon smiled and wrapped his arms around the small dragon, hugging him gently. The two slowly pulled away as Infernius and Krysia stepped forward.

"When will you be back?" Krysia asks

"We'll be visiting the other settlements for at least a day, but we'll be sure to be back in time for the tournament." Shara says

"And we'll be waiting for you when you get back." Infernius says

While everyone waited patiently, King Ambrose spoke to the villager who drove the wagon.

"Please take these two with you back to your village. They are on a journey around the island and they wish to stay for a day." Ambrose says

"Of course, your grace." The villager says

The king looked towards two soldiers of the Celestial Guard and their dragons, one brown, and one green, and requested that they accompany the female Keyblade Master and her son.

"See to it that they make it safely to Lushfield." Ambrose says

The two soldiers and their dragons nodded in acknowledgement.

"Yes sir." The soldier says

"We will escort them safely to the village." The other soldier says

The two soldiers mounted their dragons and settled themselves. Shara and Devon got themselves settled as they were ready for their trip. As soon as they were ready, they set off. The wagon rode out of the town with mother and son in the back and the two dragon-mounted soldiers following them on foot. The group waved good-bye to their friends as they watched them go.

"Bye, Devon!" Ty says waving his right-paw

"Stay safe!" Krysia says waving her right-paw

"Enjoy yourselves!" Infernius says waving his right-paw

"Take care!" Katie says waving her right-hand

"Don't be late!" Riley says cupping his mouth with both hands

"See ya around!" Nicole says waving her left-hand

"We'll be waiting!" Danny says waving his left-hand

Shara and Devon waved farewell to their friends as they got smaller and smaller in the distance. Now, they were off on their journey around the Celestial Realm.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** A new day, a new journey. Devon and Shara are on their way around the Celestial Realm to visit the other settlements on the island. This chapter also introduces two more of my OCs: Cedric, a guardian for the Celestial Realm, and King Ambrose, the sage-king of the Celestial Realm. For voice references, Cedric is voiced by Roger Craig Smith, the voice of Siegfried from _Soul Calibur V_. And King Ambrose is voiced by Richard Attenborough, who portrayed as John Hammond from _Jurassic Park_. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	41. Lushfield

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Celestial Realm_ )

It had been only a few hours since Shara and her son left Starlight Town and so far the journey was nice and pleasant. The weather was nice and the sun was out with not a cloud in sight. The sunlight beamed down on the female Keyblade Master and her child, but fortunately for them there was a cool breeze to keep them cool under the warm temperature. Devon and his mother watched as the land around them passed by. They rode the wagon as it traveled down the stone road, crossing peaceful meadows full of colorful flowers and gentle rivers over wooden bridges. During their travels, they listened to the whispering sounds of the wind. The pleasant sound of water flowing in the rivers. Even the sounds of the birds singing. All of this brought a sense of calmness to the two.

Their trip soon brought them into a forest, following the road through the treeline. Shara and Devon looked up and saw the trees shading them from the sunlight with their leaves and branches. Then, their attention was drawn to the enviornment around them as the wildlife gathered around to watch them. Around them were deers, rabbits, birds, squirrels, porcupines, and foxes, all of which were curious to the visitors passing through their home. Both mother and child were left in awe by the sight of all the animals that watched them. Shara and Devon turned around and smiles formed on their faces when they saw they were approaching a wooden arch with a sign of the village name. Finally, after traveling many miles to the east, they arrived at the first stop of their journey: Lushfield Village.

( _Lushfield_ )

Lushfield was a small village built in a clearing in the forest. This village had a small tilled field with a scarecrow near the village gates, three barns used to store food and supplies, and a large pool of water was nearby with a small stream flowing through it. The water here was pure, and crisp. And the air was refreshing. In the center of the village was a large, special oak tree that helped make the ground fertile for cultivation and the air fresh. The village also had a powered waterwheel on one of the wooden buildings. This place was famous for it's agriculture and ranching. There was many bountiful harvests thanks to the farmers and ranchers that lived here.

The wagon and it's escort strode into the village and came to a stop in the center of the village. Shara and Devon climbed down from the wagon and stood on the soft soil. As soon as they were off, the villager rode off with his wagon and the two soldiers and their dragons took off into the air.

The mother and child looked around and saw the villagers going about their daily business whether it was growing crops or raising the farm animals. Then, they looked up at the big oak tree that towerd over them. Their eyes were filled with fascination as they gazed upon the tree. It's branches were filled with fresh, green leaves. And birds were nestled in their nests, chirping as happy as can be.

One of the villagers who was walking through the village stopped and saw the two at the big tree. This man was known Farmer Walton.

Walton was a kind old man who owned a farm and a ranch on the other side of the village. Like many of his fellow villagers, he was a hard-working farmer, growing crops and raising his cattle.

He had brown eyes, grey hair, and a grey beard, wearing a white shirt with dark blue overalls and dark brown boots.

The moment he saw the female Keyblade Master and her son, a smile formed on Walton's face. He walked on over to Shara and Devon as they noticed his approach.

"Well, as I live and breathe. Hello there, Shara." Walton says

"Hi Walton." Shara says with a smile

The farmer wrapped his arms around Shara, giving her a big hug. Shara hugged him back and the two pulled apart.

"Fancy seeing you here." Walton says

Walton looked down at Devon and kneeled down to his level.

"Hey there, Devon." Walton greets

"Hi." Devon greets waving his right-hand

"How's it feel to be back home with all your friends? I'm sure everybody missed ya." Walton asks

"I'm happy to be back home." Devon says

"Ha ha! Glad to hear it." Walton chuckles

"What were you doing?" Shara asks

The farmer stood straight up and looked at Shara.

"Oh, me? I was just taking a stroll through the village, enjoying the fresh air." Walton says tugging his overalls

"Sure is peaceful here." Shara says

Walton nodded his head, turned around, and watched as his fellow villagers went about their business.

"Yep. It's a quiet life, but we all work together to ensure that everyone on the island has enough food to go around." Walton says

Shifting his gaze, the farmer turned back to look at the female Keyblade Master.

"Now, what brings you here?" Walton asks

"My son and I are on a journey around the Celestial Realm. And we thought that Lushfield would be our first stop." Shara says

"That sounds nice. How long do you plan on staying?" Walton asks

"Only for the night, and then we'll be on our way to Seashore Port." Shara says

"Well, you can stay with me and Elaine. We'd be more than happy to have you with us on our farm." Walton says

"That'd be great. Thank you, Walton." Shara says

The farmer nodded his head with a smile.

"Follow me. I'll take us back to the house." Walton says

With that said, Farmer Walton went on ahead with Shara and Devon following close behind. As they walked through the village, some bystanders watched as the female Keyblade Master and her son passed by with curiousity. After walking for several minutes, the trio came upon the farm which Walton owned. The first thing that caught their eye was the farm house.

The house was a medium, two story home made out of wood and painted white.

The front of the house had a porch which had a long, wide swinging chair as well as a shade roof. The porch was painted grey. The swinging chair was intricately strewn together, made out of wood, painted white, and was held up by chains. The chair had two white cushions with green, pink, red, yellow, and orange flowers decorating them. Also, there were two soft pillows with the same flower design. There was even a dark brown rocking chair up on the porch.

The right-side of the house had a secondary door which led to the kitchen inside. And the back of the house had piles of logs used for the fireplace inside. Alongside was a hatch to the basement inside the house.

The farmland had a barn, a stone-structured well for fresh water, a chicken-coop, and a tall windmill.

"Ah. There's no place like home." Walton says

The trio made their way over to the house, walking down the road that led to it. From the house, an old woman stepped out of the front door and stood on the porch. It was Walton's wife, Elaine.

Elaine was a sweet, elderly woman who lives with her husband, Walton. She was a devoted housewife with a gentle and kind demeanor who enjoys knitting and cooking.

She had blond, curly hair and brown eyes, wearing a light brown colored dress, a white apron, and white shoes.

Also with her was a medium-sized dog named Tillie.

Tillie was a female Border Collie dog who was sometimes playful, but was also very loyal to her owners and those she liked.

Elaine and Tillie both saw Walton approaching the house with Shara and Devon and they were quite surprised. From the moment she saw them, a kind smile grew on Elaine's face. Tillie's ears perked up and she started to wag her tail happily.

"Elaine, honey, look who dropped by for a visit!" Walton says

"Why hello! This is quite the surprise!" Elaine says

Tillie let out two barks in greeting and made her way down to the visitors. The dog went straight for Devon and began sniffing and nuzzling him all over. The young boy giggled as the gentle dog expressed her playful nature. While this was going on, Shara and Elaine both nodded their heads in greeting.

"Hello, Shara. It's been a while since we last saw you." Elaine says

"Yes, it has." Shara says

After Devon was done playing with Tillie, he went over to greet Elaine.

"Hi, Ms. Elaine." Devon greets

"Hi, sweetheart." Elaine greets

The farm lady kneeled down and hugged the small boy who hugged her back. When they pulled apart, she gave Devon a kiss on the cheek.

"Oh, I miss seeing your precious face." Elaine says

Elaine stood up straight and looked at Shara.

"What brings you both here?" Elaine asks

"They're on a trip around the island and they'll be staying with us for a while." Walton says

"It'll only be for the night." Shara says

"Of course, my dear. Please, come inside." Elaine says

Shara and Devon walked up on the porch and entered the house with Farmer Walton, Elaine, and Tillie following close behind. When the got through the front door, both mother and child examined their surroundings.

The flooring of the house were furnished out of barn oak wood. The room they stood in was the living room which had two square windows on the right which had a view of the barn and the field outside. Two square windows flanked the front door. The walls of the living room were painted white. Inside the room was a tan leather couch, and two dark grey leather chairs alongside it. Between the couch and the chairs were two small tables. Infront of the couch was a wooden long table. Layed out on the floor underneath the table was a denim-colored rug. On the right-side of the living room was a grey stone fireplace.

Hanging from behind the couch on the side of the staircase was a horizontal rectangular painting. This painting had at least fourteen mosaic circles of different sizes and color with a variety of shades and patterns such as script writing, wavy lines, stone texture, and even flower texture. Even the backgrond was different. A wide section of the background on the left was grey. The mid-right section was pearl white. And four narrow sections had a faded blue, tan, brown, and red-orange color. The upper-left corner of the painting had a faded white flower and a small red outline of another flower.

From the front door, there were two different paths into the rest of the house. One was the staircase built up on the left-side of the living room that led to the second level of the house. Past the living room was the dining room and the kitchen. The staircase also had a door built into it's side, leading down into the basement.

"Do make yourselves at home." Elaine says

Devon took in every sight of the room. He walked around the living room, gazing at the chairs, the tables, and windows. It was as though this was his first visit. But what really caught his attention was the tall grandfather clock that stood across from him.

The clock was made out of maple wood and was chain driven. It's center had a crystal-cut grooved glass case, containing a circular polished brass pendulum with three brass weight shells behind it. On each side of the clock were turned and reeded columns. The polished brass-finished dial at the head featured an open center which offered a view of the inner workings, an elaborate center and corner ornaments, a moon arch with an astrological blue moon phase with a pierced star pattern, and a circular brushed silver chapter ring with applied black Roman numerals. And the bonnet pediment at the top of the clock featured book-matched, crotch figured mahogany overlays.

Walton saw the young boy watching the clock and walked up to him. Just as he did, the clock rang it's hourly chime.

"This clock caught your eye, eh, son?" Walton says

"It's really tall." Devon says looking back at the farmer

"Hm hm. Yep. She's my favorite. I love to hear the chime of this old clock. It's music to my ears." Walton says

"Walton, why don't you show Devon around the farm?" Elaine asks

"Great idea. I'm sure my son would like that." Shara says

"I'll start getting dinner ready." Elaine says

The farm lady began walking to the kitchen. Shara watched her, but then looked down at her son, giving her a pat on the shoulder.

"You go on ahead with Walton, Devon. I'll help Elaine with the kitchen." Shara says

With that said, the female Keyblade Master followed Elaine into the kitchen, leaving Devon with the farmer.

"C'mon, Devon. I'll show you around the farm and then I'll show you to the animals." Walton says

"Yeah!" Devon cheers

Walton pats Devon's shoulder.

"Follow me. I'll show you around the farm." Walton says

The farmer and the young boy began heading on outside. As he walked, Walton called for Tillie to follow.

"Come, Tillie." Walton says

The Border Collie loyally obeyed the farmer and followed them out of the house.

( _Moments later_ )

It was now mid-day and Devon was now outside with Farmer Walton and Tillie, getting a tour of the farm. The first stop was the chicken coop where the chickens were. When they got there, the chickens were out and about with their small yellow chicks, pecking worms out from the ground.

Next up was the barn house where the other animals were.

The barn was a big building that had two levels: the ground floor which had four wide stalls on both sides for the animals, and the second floor that had square piles of hay. There was a ladder in the back of the barn that led up to the second level. The barn had three cows, one pig and it's five pigletts, a few sheep, a small bunch of ducks, and a horse including a small foal. Both the horse and the foal was brown with a black mane and tail and both were female.

"Well, here's the barn." Walton says

Devon looked at the animals in awe while they looked back at him curiously. The small horse, Elona, approached the young boy and gently nudged him with her muzzle. Devon smiled and petted Elona's neck with his right-hand. Walton also had a smile on his face.

"Seems Elona's taken a liking to you." Walton says

The farmer went over to bucket that had some carrots inside. He took out a small carrot and gave it to Devon.

"Here, give her some of this carrot." Walton says

Devon took the carrot in his hand and held it to Elona. The small horse ate the carrot and she let out a whinney, saying she enjoyed it. Devon and Walton both smiled. The farmer looked at adult horse, Shirley, who was Elona's mother and petted her head. He then shifted his gaze toward the sheep that stood in a separate stall. Walton had more sheep out in the fields and he felt that he should check up on them.

"Let's go, Devon. I've got to check on the rest of the sheep. We can take Elona and Shirley for a ride." Walton says

"Alright!" Devon says

Farmer Walton opened the gate of the stall and Shirley and Elona both walked out. Once she was out, Elona nudged herself against Devon's body, drawing his attention. The small boy smiled again and petted Elona's head with his hand.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Back at the house, Elaine was in the kitchen making dinner with Shara.

The kitchen was small. It had a white icebox near the door that led into the dining room. Rounding the left-side of the room was the wooden counter. Above was three containers storing dishes, bowls, glass cups, mugs, and different spices and seasonings. In the drawers were the cooking utensils such as forks, spoons, knives. The metal sink sat alongside the icebox while the stove oven sat inbetween the countertop on the left-side of the room. On the right-side of the room was the secondary door that led outside the house. The pots and pans hung from a wooden hanger built up on the wall at the end of the counter.

Tonight's meal was chicken with mashed potatoes, green beans, and mushrooms. The mashed potatoes was cooking in the pot while the green beans was sizzling in the pan. Elaine was tending to what was on the stove top while Shara was near the counter, slicing up the mushrooms.

"I'm glad you and your son decided to pay us a visit, Shara. It's been a long while since we last saw you." Elaine says

"Yeah. It has been a while." Shara says

"I'm sure that life as a Keyblade Wielder must've been very exciting for you and your son." Elaine says

"It was." Shara says

As she spoke, Shara thought about the wonderful experiences she had as a Keyblade Wielder.

"I made new friends, visited so many amazing places, and learned some important things." Shara says

Shara stopped what she was doing when she thought about the tough times in her journey, not to mention Devon's coma.

"But... there was also some hardships." Shara says

Shara looked off toward the icebox and saw a photo of herself, Ducar, Elaine, Walton, and Tillie standing out infront of the farm house. Also in the photo was Devon back when he was just a small baby, being held in Shara's arms. The female Keyblade Master set the knife down and walked over to the icebox, looking at the photo. The farm lady saw that Shara was looking at the photo and noticed the sorrowful expression on her face. She knew that Ducar must've met his end and she felt sad for Shara. Leaving the potatoes to cook, Elaine walked over to Shara and placed her left-hand on her right-shoulder, offering her comfort.

"Oh, Shara. I'm so sorry. It must've been hard to lose someone like Ducar." Elaine says

"It was. But I think my son took it real hard than anyone." Shara says

"The poor dear." Elaine says

"It's alright. He still has me and his friends to help him out." Shara says

Elaine nodded in agreement.

"That's true. He still has his mother to help guide him in life." Elaine says

Shara nodded in agreement to that. It was up to her to guide her son towards his destiny. And she would stay true to her promise.

( _Meanwhile_ )

Devon was now riding on Elona's back down the road towards the fields alongside Farmer Walton who was driving a wagon with Shirley. Tillie trotted alongside Devon and Elona as she followed. After riding for several minutes, they arrived at the fields where they saw a whole flock of sheep grazing.

"Here's the field and it looks like the sheep are doing fine." Walton says

Devon and Walton dismounted their horses, passed the fence gate, and went over to the sheep. Walton saw that the sheep had grown their wool back which meant he would have to shear them soon. Devon looked over to the right and saw a young lamb wobbily walked a few feet before it collapsed on the ground with it's four legs spread out. Upon seeing this, the young boy went on over to help the lamb onto it's feet. He placed both his hands underneath the lamb's stomach and lifted it up onto its feet. The lamb thanked Devon by letting out a bleat. The young boy smiled and gently rubbed the lamb's head with his right-hand. The fur of the animal was nice and soft to the touch.

Walton smiled at the sight. Shifting his gaze, the farmer looked up and saw that the sun was already starting to set. The sky was starting to turn orange as the sun began its descent, it's bottom section touching down over the horizon. Feeling it was time to head back, Walton called out to Devon.

"C'mon, Devon! The sun's starting to set. Let's head back to the house. Dinner will probably be done by the time we get there." Walton says

Devon nodded in understanding.

"Okay." Devon says

Although they had been out for an hour and a half, Devon didn't really feel disappointed at all. Having to see the animals and ride Elona was all he wanted.

The trip around the farm was now over and the young boy and the farmer made their way out of the field. As they began heading back, Walton called for Tillie to follow.

"Come, Tillie." Walton says

The dog loyally obeyed and she followed the two out of the field. Devon and Walton both mounted their horses and Tillie jumped onto the back of the wagon. As soon as they were ready, they headed down the road, riding back to the house.

As they traveled down the road, Walton couldn't help but look at Devon as he rode Elona. Seeing him ride the small horse reminded him of Ducar.

"You know, Devon. When I look at you, you remind me of your father." Walton says

Devon looked at the farmer with a confused expression on his face.

"What do you mean?" Devon asks

Walton looked right at the young boy with a smile on his face.

"Well, I saw you helped that lamb back on the field. Your father did exactly the same thing the last time he came to my farm. Out in the field, he saw a lamb tumble over and he helped it back onto it's feet." Walton says

Devon stared at Walton with interest as he listened.

"And not only that, he sure did know how to handle riding a horse. You're actually doing quite good riding Elona too. I see a lot of your father in you, son. I know you'll do him proud someday." Walton says

Devon made sure to take in all that he heard from Farmer Walton. The rest of the ride was quiet as the two continued down the road back to the house.

( _Later that night_ )

The sun had now set completely and the sky was now a blue-purplish color. The stars began appearing in the sky above. The two horses Elona and Shirley were now back in the barn together with the rest of the animals. At the house, dinner was finally ready and everyone sat out in the dining room.

The dining room had a wide, rectangular wooden table with a white sheet covering it. Six wooden chairs surrounded the table. The walls around the room were painted cream colored. Devon sat with his mother on one side of the table and Walton and Elaine sat across from them.

Everyone enjoyed the food. As they sat there eating, Shara talked about everything they had done while her family was away. About her friends, specifically Terra, Ventus, Aqua, and Master Eraqus. The places she had visited. All the worlds she's been to so far. Even some of the things she learned like Devon's destiny to become the Legendary Keyblade Master.

"I always felt your son was special, Shara, and I was right. I know you'll set him along the right path." Elaine says

"I will." Shara says

"But still... To hear that Ducar is gone is really a terrible shame." Walton says

"Yes. It was a tragic loss, but we won't let that hinder us. Ducar maybe gone, but his spirit still lives on in all of us." Shara says

"You're absolutely right about that, my dear. I believe the same thing." Elaine says

"You know, I was just telling Devon that he reminded me much of his father. He rode Elona on the way to the fields and back with no problem at all. Just like his father." Walton says

Shara couldn't believe her ears. Her son rode a small horse all on his own. She was both happy and surprised to hear this.

"Really?" Shara asks

"Yep." Walton says

A smile formed on Shara's face and she looked at her son, feeling very proud.

"That's so great. I'm very proud of you, Devon." Shara says

Devon smiled. The happy moment soon faded when the smile on Shara's face went away. Devon, Walton, and Elaine saw this and they could instantly tell what was going through her mind.

"Still, I wish my husband was here with us." Shara says

The farmer and farm lady both had solemn looks on their faces. Devon also held a solumn expression on his face.

"I remember years ago when there was a fire here in the village." Walton says

Walton and Elaine began to have a flashback, remembering the tragic day of the fire.

( _Some years ago_ )

Out somewhere in the open fields, a windmill was engulfed in flames. The light of the fire illuminated the night sky. The thick smoke trailed out of the burning windows, lifting up into the night sky. A crowd of people including saurians and dragons, even Shara, Walton and Elaine stood out in the field away the burning windmill looking up in horror and shock. Inside the windmill, Ducar, Darel, Cedric, and a few other members of the Celestial Guard were evacuating the people out to safety.

 _"One of the windmills caught fire somehow. Ducar and his team braved the flames and went inside to save the people trapped inside." Walton says_

"Come on! Let's go! Get these people out of here! This windmill's gonna come down ontop of us!" Ducar shouts

Darel came out of a room with a man limping along with his arm slung around his neck. Cedric followed close behind, escorting a woman out. Ducar was about to follow when he heard a child scream. It sounded like a young girl. Looking back, he felt it came from one of the burning rooms.

Cedric and Darel both made it safely out of the windmill with the civilians in tow. But the woman tried to run back into the windmill.

"No! Stay back!" Darel says

"Let me go! My daughter's still in there!" The woman screams

Cedric noticed that Ducar didn't follow them out of the burning building. He could only figure that he was going for the child that was still trapped inside somewhere.

Back in the windmill, Ducar went through each of the rooms, searching for the girl as she continued to scream out in terror. He had already gone through four rooms and he still could not find her. His eyes soon laid on an open doorway down the hall.

"Hold on! I'm coming!" Ducar shouts

With all speed, Ducar ran down the hall towards the doorway. But before he could reach it, some burning beams came down, blocking the doorway, causing Ducar to stop. He shielded himself from the flames using right-arm. Lowering it down, he saw that two support beams was blocking his entry, forming an 'X' shaped barricade. Mustering his strength, Ducar raised his right-foot and kicked the beams with all his might, knocking them down. He entered the room and searched left and right. He heard the girl scream again, diverting his attention toward the back-left corner of the room. And that was where he saw her. Cowering in the corner was a little girl appearing to be 8 years old.

This girl had blue eyes and long dark brown hair.

She wore a pink dress, brown pants, and white shoes.

Ducar walked over to the little girl and bent down to her, offering his right-hand to her.

"It's okay. I'm gonna get you out of here. C'mon." Ducar says

The small girl was very scared, but she took hold of Ducar's hand.

"You're gonna be alright. Now, c'mon. C'mon." Ducar says

Once the girl was close enough to him, Ducar picked her up and held her in his arms. He began making his way out of the room and into the hallway. But just as he made it out of the room, the floor of the hallway collapsed, revealing a burning inferno down below. He had no other escape route. The only one was straight out across from him, which meant he would have to jump for it. But he had to be careful. Missing the jump would definenitly spell certain death. Ducar took a few steps back, then with courage in his heart, ran full speed. He jumped over the long gap and made it to the other side. He was only an inch away from falling into the flames below. Ducar caught his breath and looked back at the amazing feat that he had accomplished.

Focusing back to the current situation, Ducar raced down the staircase, making a dash for the exit. Before he could reach it, some debris came tumbling down, blocking the way out. Ducar and the little girl were trapped. And as if things couldn't get any worse, the building started to creak. Pretty soon, the whole windmill would collapse. Ducar looked around for someplace safe, but the odds were against him. The little girl in his arms clung onto him tightly, whimpering scared. Ducar patted the child, assuring her that everything would be okay.

Everyone outside stood with worried hearts and nervous thoughts. They feared that Ducar and the little girl might've perished in the flames. The windows on the building exploded, sending glass everywhere. The crowd screamed and they all shielded themselves from the explosion. Then, the whole building collapsed, kicking up a thick cloud of smoke and a large torrent of flames.

"No!" The woman screams

"Ducar!" Darel screams

The crowd stared at the burning remains of the windmill. Sadness and despair began to grip at their hearts. There was no way Ducar or the girl could've survived that. The mother of the child burst into tears while Darel, Cedric, and the members of the Celestial Guard looked down in sadness.

Then, in that moment, when all seemed lost, out of the flames and debris came Ducar with the little girl in the safety his arms. Miraculously, they had somehow survived. The mother of the young child was extremely happy to see this. The fearless leader walked over to the woman and handed the little girl over to her.

"It's alright. She's shaken up, but she's fine." Ducar says

The woman took the girl in her arms and looked down at the child.

"Mommy." The young girl says

"Oh, sweetheart." The woman sobs

The woman looks up at Ducar and thanks him for saving her precious child.

"Thank you, Ducar. Thank you." The womans thanks

Ducar smiled and nodded his head. Turning his head, Ducar saw Darel and Cedric approach him.

"Ducar, are you alright?" Cedric asks

"Yeah. I'm fine." Ducar says

"Quite a close call there." Darel says

"Sure was." Ducar says looking back at the collapsed building

The three men watched as the flames burned before them. It was hard to believe that they were in that. But nevertheless, they were able to get everyone out safely. As for Ducar, he was recognized as a hero to the villagers.

 _"He came out of that blaze with that little girl wrapped in his arms. It was unbelievable. Ducar was, without a doubt, a real, genuine hero." Walton says_

( _Present day_ )

"I remember. I was in the crowd that night. I still can't believe he was able to walk away from something like that." Shara says

"Yep. That was one night I'd never forget." Walton says

"Here, here." Elaine says

Devon sat utterly silent in his chair upon hearing this story. He made sure to remember it in his heart. More importantly, he made sure to remember what his father was. A man of great deeds. A true hero. His hero.

( _Moments later_ )

After dinner was done, Devon was shown the guest room where he would be sleeping. With him was Walton and Shara.

The guest room had a circular window which had a view of the farmland outside. On the opposite side of the room was a small bed that had a soft matress, two white covered pillows, and a dark grey blanket with a white sheet underneath.

"This'll be your room, son. Here's where you'll be sleeping for the night." Walton says

Devon looked at the bed and walked over to it. He placed his right-hand on the blanket and felt that it was very soft. He then placed his hand on the pillows. They were also nice and soft.

"This is very soft." Devon says

"I'm glad you like it. Well, time to hit the hay. Best we all get a good night's sleep." Walton says

Walton began walking out of the room, bidding Shara and Devon good-night.

"Night, Devon. Night, Shara." Walton says

"Night, Walton." Shara says

"Night." Devon says

Once the farmer had gone off to his bedroom to sleep with his wife, the female Keyblade Master walked up to Devon and took a seat on the bed while the young boy got himself ready for bed. Devon took off his black shoes, kept his low white socks, his tan shorts, and grey shirt on, and wrapped himself underneath the blankets.

"Did you have fun today?" Shara asks

"I sure did." Devon says

"That's good. You'd better get some sleep. Tomorrow, we're off to Seashore Port." Shara says

Devon rolled over on his right-side and made himself comfortable. His mother lowered herself down to him and kissed her son on his head. She then got up and began leaving the room. Before she left, Shara stopped and turned to look at Devon.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me. Good-night, Devon." Shara says

"Good-night, mom." Devon says

Having said good-night, Shara left the room and went downstairs to sleep out in the living room. As soon as she left, Tillie came into the room and looked at the young boy as he slept. The dog walked over to Devon, jumped up onto the bed, and laid down at the end of the bed, keeping the small boy company throughout the night.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Here's our first stop on our tour of the Celestial Realm: the farming village of Lushfield. Here, Devon and Shara both meet Farmer Walton and Elaine and visit their farm. And how about Walton's story about Ducar? For voice reference, Walton is voiced by John Ratzenberger, who portrayed as Marvin 'Gramps' Livingston from Super Buddies and Elaine is voiced by Thea White, the voice of Muriel Bagge from Courage the Cowardly Dog Series. I've also found a more suitable voice reference for Shara. She is now voiced by Holly Hunter, the voice of Helen Parr/Elastigirl from The Incredibles. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	42. Seashore Port

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _Lushfield_ )

The morning sun rose over the hills in the fields slowly, bringing with it a new day. It's bright orange-yellow beams shined over the land. The rooster's crow sounded through the air, awakening the peaceful villagers from their sleep.

At the farm, Devon slowly woke up and opened his eyes. He rubbed the sleepiness out of his eyes, sat upright on his bed, and stretched his arms out, wincing his eyes. The young boy looked infront of him and saw Tillie lying on the bed by his sleep. The female dog lifted her head and looked at Devon, panting with her tongue hanging out.

"Morning, Tillie." Devon says

Tillie let out a bark, saying good-morning to Devon. The dog jumped down from the bed and reared back, stretching her front legs. Then, she stretched out her back legs.

It was now Devon's turn to get up. He unfurled the blankets and stretched his legs out. Now that he was fully awake, Devon put on his shoes and went downstairs. As he descended to the ground floor, he could smell something was cooking in the kitchen. Devon made his way past the living room into the dining room. There, he saw Farmer Walton sitting at the table reading the newspaper with a white cup of coffee.

"Morning, Walton." Devon says

The farmer folded down the newspaper and smiled as he bid good morning to the young boy.

"Hey! Good morning there, Devon. Your mother and Elaine are inside the kitchen getting breakfast ready." Walton says

Devon walked into the kitchen and saw the two women making breakfast. Elaine was doing the bacon as it sizzled on the frying pan. And Shara was cooking up scrambled eggs on another frying pan next to farm lady. The food was just about done when Devon entered the kitchen.

"Good morning." Devon says

The two women both looked back at the young child with smiles on their faces.

"Why good morning, young man." Elaine says

"Morning, sweetheart." Shara says

"You're just in time. Breakfast is just about ready." Elaine says

"Smells good." Devon says

"Why don't you go on and get seated in the dining room, Devon. We'll bring in the food in a second." Elaine says

"Okay." Devon says nodding his head

The young boy walked out of the kitchen and into the dining room, leaving the two women alone.

"Your son really is a sweet child, Shara." Elaine says

"Yes, he is." Shara says

The female Keyblade Master looked at the window over the sink, gazing at the farmland outside.

"He has a bright heart and that's what makes him special." Shara says

( _Moments later_ )

Everyone was now sitting in the dining room, eating breakfast. Devon had his food: bacon, scrambled eggs, and brown toast with orange juice. The three adults had the same food also, but they all had cups of coffee. Tillie was also in the room, eating her dry dog food.

"So, I guess today you'll be leaving then?" Walton asks

Shara nodded her head.

"We have to. I wish we could've stay a little longer, but me and Devon are on a trip around the Celestial Realm. I promised our friends we'd be back in time for the Battle Royale." Shara says

"It's okay. We understand." Walton says holding his right-hand up

"Where was it you'd be heading off to again?" Elaine asks

"Seashore Port. From there, we'll take a ship to Zaharus. Hopefully Edward is still there. He and Ducar used to hang out together at the pubs." Shara says

"Well, we're just happy we got a chance to see you again." Elaine says

Shara and Devon smiled and they all continued eating their breakfast.

( _Moments later_ )

After breakfast was done, Shara and Devon prepared themselves for their walk toward Seashore Port. They were now standing at the east gate of the village with Farmer Walton, Elaine, and Tillie.

"Seashore Port is just a few miles out due east. Just head down this road. You can't miss it." Walton says pointing down the road

"I hope you'll enjoy your trip. We'll be thinking of you both, always." Elaine says

"Thank you. Both of you. We'll be sure to come and visit now and then." Shara says

Tille walked over to Devon and nuzzled herself against his right-arm. The young boy rubbed his hand through the dog's soft fur.

"Bye, Tillie. I'll miss you." Devon says

"C'mon, Devon. We better get going." Shara says

Devon looked up at his mother and nodded his head.

"Okay." Devon says

The female Keyblade Master and her son began walking down the road to Seashore Port. As they walked away, Devon turned and waved good-bye to the farmer and farm lady.

"Bye!" Devon says waving his right-hand

"Take care, my dears." Elaine says waving her left-hand

"Don't be strangers, ya hear?" Walton says waving his right-hand

The farmer, farm lady, and their dog watched as Shara and Devon traveled down the road. They were happy they got to see them. And they would never forget their faces. Nor would they ever forget Ducar, the man who once saved their village from a terrible tragedy.

( _Moments later_ )

Shara and Devon had been walking through the forests for at least two hours, but the walk was quite pleasant for them. The trees provided enough shade from the sun with their leafy branches. And the relaxing sounds of singing birds and the gentle flowing rivers gave a sense of serenity to the enviornment. They made a few stops along the way, whether it was to rest their feet or get a quick drink from the nearby rivers. As they continued down the road, Devon began to see a light up ahead. Shara saw it as well.

"Mom, I see a light." Devon says

"I know. I see it too." Shara says

Both mother and son continued walking toward the light. Soon, they were out of the forest and in their destination was in sight. It's name: Seashore Port.

( _Seashore Port_ )

Seashore Port was a large port-side town located on the east coast of the island. The town had many shops, including taverns and inns. The northern side of the town was lined with high cliffs. A lighthouse was built on the docks to help guide boats in. Many boats were docked here and was used for trade and fishing as well as transportation around the Celestial Realm. This port was home to sailors, fishermen, and ship builders.

Shara and Devon walked through the town, passing many of the stalls, most of which featured fish. The young boy looked over to his right and saw a wide variety of ships such as Galleons, Brigs, and Frigates.

"Whoa! Mom! Look at all the ships." Devon says

"I see them. Now, we just have to find the one who belongs to Edward Keelhaul. Not to mention the captain himself." Shara says

The female Keyblade Master looked around her surroundings. Her eyes soon laid on a wooden sign that read: Salty Sailor's. This sign had a picture of a mug carved into it with the name of the pub just underneath it. A grin formed on Shara's face when she saw the sign. She knew Edward well enough to know where he would be. Where there were drinks, there was Edward Keelhaul. And she figured this would be the place to find him.

"And I think I know where he might be." Shara says

Shara and Devon approached the tavern and stepped inside. Once inside, they saw dozens of men drinking and enjoying themselves. Some men laughed. A few played with darts. And others played poker. Shara looked off toward the bar across from her and she saw another one of her friends. A man known as Edward Keelhaul.

Edward Keelhaul was a kind, honest sailor who enjoyed the life of the sea.

He had brown eyes, and shoulder-length blonde hair.

He wore a grey waistcoat with black cuffs, black liner and thin black brims around the buttonholes, fitted with buttons made from silver. Underneath the coat, he wore a faded grey shirt, the collar of which is folded over the collar of the coat. He also wore black leather swash boots, a black belt with a silver square buckle, dark pants, and black fingerless gloves.

Edward was drinking away to his mug of rum when he heard a voice call out to him.

"Edward?" A female voice says

"Eh?" Edward says

The sailor turned around and saw that the voice belonged to Shara. As soon as he saw her, his eyes widened in surprise and a smile formed on his face.

"Ah! Shara!" Edward says

"Hi, Edward." Shara says

The sailor man wrapped his arms around the female Keyblade Master, embracing her in a big hug.

"Oh, how I missed ya, lass. It's been ages. I've always been wondering when you'd come back." Edward says

"Well, I'm back. Along with my son." Shara says

Edward looked down and saw Devon looking up at him.

"Nice to be seein' ya, lad." Edward says

"Hi." Devon says

The sailor man gave the young boy a smile and rubbed his head with his right-hand. Edward looked around and noticed that Ducar was around.

"'Ey, where's Ducar. Where'd he be at?" Edward asks as he grabs his mug

As soon as she heard Ducar's name, a solemn look came upon Shara's face.

"Edward... I hate to say this but... Ducar's gone." Shara says

Edward nearly choked on his drink when he heard this. A shocked expression was pretty clear on his face. Even Shara could see the concern in Edward's eyes.

"Is what you say true, lass? Is Ducar really gone?" Edward asks

"Yes." Shara says in a low voice nodding her head.

The shock and concern that was on the sailor man's face quickly turned into sorrow. Edward had known Ducar most of his life. He remembered when the two of them would hang out at the tavern and have a drink and a laugh. But to hear that he was now gone struck pain in his heart. Edward let out a sigh.

"Ahhh. Ducar was good man. A fine lad he was. I always saw the good in Ducar's heart. And I always enjoyed his company." Edward says

As he sat there, Edward remembered the time when he and Ducar were out sailing the sea.

( _Some years ago_ )

Ducar and Edward were out at sea, sailing across the water on a Brig with a group of honest sailors just like them. The sky was clear. The sun shined down on them. And the wind was on their side.

 _"I remember like it was yesterday. Ducar was a fine sailor. He knew how to handle a ship just about as well as any sailor did." Edward says_

As they traveled the open sea, Ducar and Edward had a drink with their shipmates and they had a laugh every now and then.

 _"The mates and I really liked having a lad like Ducar around. He always had stories to tell and he knew how to make every one of us laugh." Edward says_

While the rest of their shipmates enjoyed themselves, Ducar and Edward leaned against the railing of the ship, taking in the beautiful view of the sea.

 _"But then, there was that one night." Edward says_

The scene quickly changed to night time when lightning struck the air as Ducar, Edward, and the sailors were now in a terrible storm. The rain poured heavily on the men. The wind blowed hard. Lightning illuminated the dark skies all around. The thunder boomed loudly. And the waves of the sea smashed into the ship, splashing water down on top the men.

 _"It was a night we would never forget. We were caught in the midst of a terrible storm. The wind blew hard and harsh. The rain poured heavily on us. And the waves of the sea were savage." Edward says_

Ducar, Edward, and the men worked hard pulling on a rope to get the sails moving.

 _"Ducar knew how to handle danger. He had shown a lot of bravery that night." Edward says_

Ducar looked over to his right and saw two sailors having trouble pulling on a rope to secure the mast. He rushed on over and helped the sailors with the rope, tying it down.

 _"Then, one of our shipmates went overboard." Edward says_

A strong wave slammed into the ship, causing most of the men aboard to lose their balance. One unfortunate sailor was thrown over the railing and into the sea.

"Man overboard!" One of the sailors shouts

Ducar, Edward, and some of the sailors looked over the railing and saw a young man named Jim down in the water, fighting to stay above the waves.

Jim Phillips was as stated a young man who had dark brown eyes and short, untidy brown hair.

He wore a grey tank top, grey pants, and dark brown leather boots. He also wore a simple necklace, a plain wooden cross tied in a thin leather cord.

"Help!" Jim cries out

 _"Poor Jimmy was thrown overboard by the savage waves of the sea. He was one of my closest mates and I was damned if I was gonna lose someone like him to the wrath of the storm." Edward says_

Edward and the sailors watched helplessly as one of their shipmates slowly got further away from the ship. Ducar on the other hand took some long rope, tied it tightly around the mast of the ship, and slung the rest over his right-shoulder. He then took a few steps back as he prepared himself to do what everyone else was afraid to do. Edward turned around just in time to see Ducar getting ready to jump.

 _"That's when I saw Ducar dive in after him." Edward says_

Ducar ran full speed toward the side of the ship and jumped off the railing. As he leapt off the ship, the lightning illuminated his form as he dived into the water.

"Ducar!" Edward shouts

The brave man resurfaced from the sea water and saw Jim across from him. Fighting the vicious waves, Ducar swam over to Jim and slung his left-arm around him.

"I got you, Jim!" Ducar says

Now that he had Jim, Ducar looked up to the sailors on the ship.

"Pull us up!" Ducar shouts

Edward and the sailors grabbed hold of the rope and pulled back.

"Heave, lads! Heave!" Edward yells

The sailors pulled on the rope, slowly lifting the two men up out of the water. Eventually, Ducar and Jim were both brought onto deck. As soon as they touched down, they both collapsed from exhaustion, coughing and breathing heavily for air. Even Edward and the men who had pulled them aboard were exhausted.

"You alright, Jim?" Ducar asks

"I am now, sir. Thanks." Jim says gratefully

Suddenly, everyone looked up to see the storm had begun to pass. The rain slowed and went away. The waves eased up. And the dark clouds slowly scattered and faded away, revealing stars in the night sky.

Ducar and Jim looked at each other and smiled, then rolled onto their backs laughing. They both got up to their feet and all the sailors onboard cheered for Ducar. Every single one of them went over to Ducar and gave him pats on the back while he smiled. Edward looked on and smiled at the moment.

 _"Ducar was one of the bravest men I've ever known. He saved a man from drowning that night. Down into the darkness of the sea. Aye... He was a hero." Edward says_

( _Present time_ )

The sailor stared at his mug as he finished his tale of Ducar.

"Ducar was the closest thing I had to a friend. To hear that he's dead and gone really is a tragic thing." Edward says

Edward took a swig of his mug before looking at Shara and Devon.

"But why have you come here? No doubt you're in need of something." Edward asks

"I was hoping you could do us a favor." Shara says

"What be it, lass?" Edward asks

"Could you take us to the City of Zaharus? My son and I are on a trip around the island to recount for the times we've been gone." Shara says

Shara reached into the right-pocket of her pants and took out the pouch of munny King Ambrose gave her for their trip.

"I have munny which I will pay you for your trouble." Shara says

Edward held up his left-hand.

"Ahhh, you don't need to pay me, lass. Keep it. You really need it more than me. I'd be more than happy to sail the sea with you and your son. It's the least I could do for you and Ducar." Edward says

Shara smiled upon hearing this.

"Thank you so much, Edward." Shara thanks

"Of course, lass. I'm an honest sailor. Not some black hearted, squid suckin' buccaneer. What are friends for, eh?" Edward says

( _Moments later_ )

Shara and Devon were now outside following Edward Keelhaul down the docks to his ship. They soon stopped when Edward stopped and let out a pleasant sigh.

"Ah, here she is. The Sea Venture." Edward says

Shara and Devon looked on ahead and were amazed by what they saw. There was Edward's ship. A Galleon known as The Sea Venture.

The Sea Venture was a large, multi-decked ship, constructed from oak for the keel, pine for the masts, and various hardwood for the hull and deck. The hull of the ship was painted grey and it's tattered sails were predominantly white.

The ship had three masts: the fore, the mizzen, and main. The fore and main masts were square-rigged with a topsail, a course, and a topgallant while the mizzen only had a topsail and a topmast stay-sail. At the stern were the fore stay-sail and flying jib, anchored with the bowsprit, both used for steering. The ship also had a crow's nest at the top of the main mast where a black flag of the Celestial Realm's sigil blew in the air.

At the aft of the ship beneath the helm was the captain's quarters. The captain's quarters was very spacious compared to the crew's quarters. The ship also had a quarter gallery or a balcony at the stern off the captain's cabin.

"Isn't she grand? This big 'ol beauty of a ship has carried me and my mates through thick and thin across the sea. If there's anywhere you need to be headin', this be the way. Let's head aboard and meet the crew." Edward says

The trio walked up the gangway on the starboard side and stepped onto the deck of the ship. They met the sailors up on deck, who stood at attention, waiting for them. Among the sailors was Jim, who Ducar had saved from drowning in Edward's story.

"Alright, mates! I want you all to listen up and listen well to what I'd be tellin' ya today!" Edward says

Edward walks over to Shara and places his right-hand on her left-shoulder.

"This be my good lass, Shara, Ducar's lovely wife." Edward says

Walking infront of Shara, Edward moves over to Devon who stood on her right and kneels down to him, placing both his hands on his shoulders and giving him a smile.

"And this wee, cheerful, little lad be their son, Devon." Edward says

Edward stood up straight and placed his hands behind his back as he continued to speak.

"They be on a journey around the whole island since they've been gone for a long while. I promised them a pleasant voyage to the City of Zaharus and a pleasant voyage is what they'll have. I want you all to treat 'em with both respect as if Ducar himself were on this ship." Edward says

The sailors knew full well of Ducar. He was a legend among them. And to hear that Shara was his wife and Devon his son left them quite surprised.

"Do you understand?" Edward says

"Aye, captain!" The sailors say in unison

"Good. Now, step lively, mates! We cast off within the hour!" Edward says

Obeying their captain, the men went to their duties, getting the ship ready to set sail. Edward turned and looked at Shara and Devon.

"This is turnin' out to be a fine voyage. I can feel it. Well, do make yourselves comfortable. We'll set sail in a few minutes." Edward says

Having said that, Edward left Shara and Devon to attend to his ship. Walking along the deck, the captain passed his first-mate, Jim, who stood at attention for him.

"Captain." Jim says

Edward smiled and nodded his head at Jim as he passed by. The young man watched as his captain walked along the deck, then shifted his gaze toward Shara and Devon who were leaning against the railing of the ship, looking out toward the open sea. Jim could hardly believe that these two were the wife and child of the man who saved his life all those years ago. But he wondered where Ducar was and why wasn't he with them. He thought maybe Shara would know. Deciding to meet them, Jim walked over to the female Keyblade Master and her son.

"Shara? Devon?" Jim says

Both mother and son turned around and looked at the man who stood infront of them.

"I'm Jim. Jim Phillips. Captain Edward's first-mate. I'm sure he's told you about me. It's a real honor to meet you both."

"It's nice to meet you, Jim. Edward mentioned you. He told us you nearly drowned at sea." Shara says

Jim nodded his head.

"It's true." Jim says

( _Flashback_ )

Jim recalled the night he and his fellow sailors were caught in that terrible storm. He remembered every detail. The rain. The wind. Even the savage waves.

 _"I remember that night. When that terrible storm hit us. I was thrown overboard into the sea and drifting away." Jim says_

Jim remembered how he was thrown off the ship and cast into the sea. When that strong wave smashed into the ship, it caused him to lose balance and it threw him over the railing, causing him to fall into the water.

"Help!" Jim cries out

 _"The rough waves crashed into me, pushing me down while the ship got further away. I couldn't catch up. I Couldn't stay afloat. Every effort to reach the ship drained me of my strength. I felt I was done for. I thought for sure it was the end of me." Jim says_

As he fought to stay above the waves, Jim looked up and saw something amazing.

 _"And that was when I saw him." Jim says_

Looking toward the ship, he saw a man jump off to his rescue. His form illuminated by the lightning. It was Ducar.

 _"Ducar leapt off the ship with a line of rope in tow slung around his shoulder." Jim says_

"Jim!" Ducar calls out

"Ducar!" Jim calls out

 _"He jumped into the water and swam over to me." Jim says_

Jim watched in amazement as Ducar fought the waves to reach him. Once he did, he slung his arm around Jim.

"I got you, Jim!" Ducar yells

Now that he had Jim, Ducar looked up at the ship, shouting to the sailors aboard to hoist them up.

"Pull us up!" Ducar shouts

The men up on the ship pulled on the rope, lifting Ducar and Jim out of the water.

 _"We were both pulled out of the water and onto the deck of the ship." Jim says_

The two men laid out on the deck just as the storm started to clear. They looked at each other and laughed.

 _"Ducar risked his life to save me from drowning that night. He saved my life." Jim says_

( _Present time_ )

"Ducar was man worthy of great deeds. I owe him my life." Jim says

"He was just looking out for everyone. It's what he does." Shara says

"Where is Ducar anyway?" Jim asks

Shara knew that question would come along eventually and she looked away, out toward the sea with a sad look on her face.

"I... I'd rather not talk about him now." Shara says

Jim saw the sad expression on Shara's face and he stood silent. He figured something must've happened to Ducar. He didn't want to press his wife any further, so he decided to let it be.

"I understand. Forgive me if I said anything." Jim says

Shara looked at Jim and saw the look of concern on his face.

"Do excuse me. I have my duty to the ship and it's captain. Perhaps we'll talk later." Jim says

Jim bowed respectively to Shara and Devon and went off to join his captain. The young boy watched as Jim walked away, then looked up at his mother with a worried expression on his face.

"Mom, are you okay?" Devon asks

Shara looked down at her son and placed her right-hand on his right-shoulder with a slight smile.

"Don't worry about me, Devon. I'll be fine." Shara says

The young boy smiled and the two looked out toward the sea.

Up on the stern of the ship, Edward and Jim oversaw the final preparations of their voyage.

"The wind seems to be picking up nicely, captain." Jim says

"Aye. Right you are, lad. The tide's with us. It's about time we set off." Edward says

Edward walked past the helm and up to the railing, giving the order to set sail.

"Set sail! We head for the City of Zaharus!" Edward says

The sailors went to work on the ship while their captain and his first-mate watched.

"It's been a long time since we've sailed these waters. It's time to relive those days once more." Edward says

First, the gangway was moved.

"Raise the gangway!" A sailor yells

Two men down on the dock moved the gangway. Next, the ropes that held the ship at the dock was let loose and tossed back up on the ship.

"Loosen lines!" Another sailor yells

Two men on the dock, one for forward and one for aft loosened up the lines and tossed them back up to two sailors on deck who caught them. Then, there was the anchor.

"Hoist anchor!" A third sailor yells

Two sailors on deck pushed against the wheel on opposite sides, raising the anchor out of the water. Finally, the sails were unfurled.

"Set the sails!" A fourth sailor yells

Six sailors, two each on the three masts pulled loose the ropes that held the sails and let them unfurl. With that, the ship and those on board were off. Edward looked at his first-mate and nodded his head, excusing him. Jim walked down the stairs from the upper deck and made his way across the main deck toward Shara and Devon with a special treat he had for them.

"Devon, Shara, please come with me. I want to show you something." Jim says

Jim led the young boy and his mother to the ratline on the starboard side of the ship and they carefully climbed up to the crow's nest. When they got there, a look of astonishment came upon their faces. They had a grand view of Seashore Port as they could see the entire town along with the surrounding forests and cliffs.

"Remarkable, isn't it?" Jim asks

"It's amazing." Devon says

"This certaintly is quite a view, Jim." Shara says

"Just one of the great perks of being a sailor." Jim says

The trio continued to take in the fantastic view of the sea-side town as the ship sailed off into sea and off towards adventure.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** This chapter introduces two more OCs I've created: Edward Keelhaul, a sailor, explorer, and friend of Devon's family, and Jim Phillips, a young man who long ago Ducar had saved from drowning. For voice reference, Edward Keelhaul is voiced by Billy Conolly, who portrayed as Billy Bones from Muppet Treasure Island. And Jim Phillips is voiced by Sam Claflin, who portrayed as Philip Swift from Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. I'm also planning on adding in Pirates of the Carribean, starting with Curse of the Black Pearl in Kingdom Hearts: World Conquest sometime in the near future. So, you guys best keep an eye out for that. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	43. Wonders of the Sea

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _Elsewhere_ )

It was now mid day and The Sea Venture was out on open water. The sun shined down on the sea, glistening the waters with it's light. Devon and Shara were leaning against the railing on the port side of the ship, taking in the scenery.

Jim watched them as he stood up on the upper deck with his captain. Other than the view of the sea, he figured something was going through their minds. He remembered earlier in the day when he asked Shara about Ducar and why he wasn't with them. Back then, Shara had a sorrowful expression and didn't feel like discussing it at the time. Seeing that sad look on her face must've meant something bad happened. Jim felt a little regret upon asking her that question.

Edward looked over at his first-mate and he saw the troubled expression on his face.

"You concerned about them too, eh, lad?" Edward asks

Jim looked at his captain and nodded his head.

"Yes. I have a feeling it's something to do with Ducar." Jim says

The two men glanced down at the female Keyblade Master and her son as they watched the sea.

"Aye. Shara told me that Ducar has met a terrible fate. She didn't say how or why, but whatever happened, I'm sure it didn't bode well for her and her son." Edward says

"I suppose for now we just make them feel comfortable." Jim says

"I'm sure they've dealt with some hardships while they've been away. It best we don't put any more pressure on them." Edward says

Jim nodded in agreement.

"I'm sure they'll be hungry later. Let them know they're invited to dinner in the captain's cabin." Edward says

"Yes, sir." Jim says

Jim stepped down on deck and walked over to Shara and Devon. He joined them and leaned against the railing.

"Hi, Shara. Hi, Devon." Jim greets

"Oh, hi Jim." Shara says

"I want you both to know that you're invited to dine with Captain Edward in his quarters later tonight." Jim says

"That sounds nice. Thanks." Shara says

The trio stood silently over the next minute, watching the sea before Jim spoke again.

"Shara, I can hardly imagine what you and Devon must be going through. But if you ever need anything, I'm here for you. And so is the captain." Jim says

"I know." Shara says

Suddenly, a voice spoke which caught everyone's attention.

"Whales off starboard bow!" A sailor shouts

Everyone on the deck looked out into the sea and saw a group of Orca whales emerge above the water's surface. Devon was left astounded by the sight of the whales.

"Orcas. They're docile, but gentle. I see them sometimes just off shore from the port. They enjoy interacting with humans. They're fascinating creatures." Jim says

"I know. I remember seeing them along the beaches near our home. Back in Starlight Town. They like to play with kids." Shara says

Shara looks down at her son with a smile.

"Even Devon likes to play with them." Shara says

As he continued watching the whales, Devon began having a flashback.

( _Flashback_ )

It was in the summer only months before he left the Celestial Realm with his family. It was a bright, sunny day with the sun shining down on the peaceful world, glistening the water with it's light. Devon was walking along the beach near the shore by himself collecting seashells when he saw an orca whale appear on the surface of the ocean. A smile formed on the young boy's face as he was filled with excitement. He put his bucket of shells down on the sand and immediately went into the water. Devon walked into the warm, clear blue water until it was up to his waist. He then began looking around for the whale. He soon found it as the orca emerged from the water infront of him and approached.

The two stared at each other in complete silence until Devon raised his right-arm, stretching it out away from him. The orca copied this and raised it's left-fin. When Devon lowered his arm, the whale did too. Devon raised his left-arm and the orca raised it's right-fin. Same as before, when he lowered his arm, the whale lowered it's fin. A mischievous smile formed on the young boy's face as he tried something else. He gently splashed a little bit of water at the whale who splashed some water back at him with it's mouth, showing it's playful nature. Devon splashed water at the orca again and the whale splashed back at the young boy.

Now came the moment of truth. Devon raised his right-hand and slowly approached the orca. Within moments, his hand came in contact with the whale's skin. It felt wet and slick, yet smooth to the touch. Devon felt breath-taken as he was amazed by what he was doing. He was actually touching an orca whale. The young boy placed both hands on the orca and gently rubbed the whale's head. The animal loved being petted by the small boy and it let out a playful squeal. Devon smiled as he continued to feel the orca's soft, rubbery skin.

Suddenly, two more orcas appeared and joined in on the action that was going on near the shore. They all took a great interest in the young boy and they gave off clicks, whistles, and squeals. Devon looked at all the whales that were interacting with him and he smiled even more.

( _Present time_ )

That was an experience he would never forget. Shara saw the happy look on her son's face and she too was happy. Back then, she had watched her son play with the gentle animals and seeing that made her happy.

( _Flashback_ )

Shara, Ducar, and their son, Devon were out on a row boat on the same day, floating a few miles off shore from the beach.

Devon wore black swim shorts with two blue stripes going down along the side. Ducar wore black swim shorts that had colorful palm trees decorating it. Shara simply wore a white tank top and denim high-top shorts.

As they sat out on their boat, three orca whales emerged from the water and approached the three humans. They soon stopped and looked up at Devon and his family. Devon motioned closer to one of the whales and he slowly stretched out is right-hand toward it. Eventually, his hand touched the whale's snout and he rubbed it gently, feeling it's soft, rubbery skin.

Shara and Ducar smiled at the moment their son was having with the whale. Following Devon's example, they stretched their hands out to the other two whales and they pet the gentle creatures.

Trying something else, Devon laid his bare feet out over the edge of the boat and dipped them in the water. The water was cool to the touch. The young boy kicked his feet in the water, making gentle splashes. One of the whales emerged from the water with Devon's feet touching it's back. Devon smiled as gently tapped his feet on the whale's back.

What Devon did next really took his parents by surprise. The small boy stood up on the boat and jumped into the water. Shara and Ducar were both shocked and surprised when their son did this. Devon may have been a strong swimmer despite his age, but they still felt nervous for their son's safety.

Once again, they were left surprised by what they saw next. With a big splash, Devon emerged from the water on the back of one of the orcas, smiling as happy as can be. Shara and Ducar saw the happy look on their son's face and they laughed and smiled as well.

It wasn't long before they jumped into the water as well. Once they surfaced, they were on the backs of the other two whales. The two parents rode the whales over to their son, sharing the same happy expression he had.

The orcas gave the family a little ride both above and underwater. Devon, Shara, and Ducar all held onto the dorsal fin of their individual whale as they enjoyed the rides they were getting. Above the water, they felt like they were flying. Underwater, they could see all kinds of fishes swimming all around them underneath the crystal clear water.

The family were soon brought back to their boat. Devon, Shara, and Ducar climbed back onto their boat and looked back at the whales. The orcas gave off clicks, whistles, and squeals which made the three humans smile. The family petted the whales one last time, then watched as the orcas swam off into the ocean, waving good-bye to the friendly creatures with their smiles still on their faces.

( _Present time_ )

Shara smiled upon remembering that. One thing for sure: Orca whales really seemed to bring the best out of people.

"It really is incredible. To share the waters of this world with these magnificent creatures and interact with them. It's always been my dream to have a connection with these graceful animals. It's one of the reason why I became a sailor. I've always wanted to gaze upon these whales. I think it's one of life's greatest experiences." Jim says

"You're right, Jim. To live in this world and share it with these creatures is certaintly an experience to be had. I share the same dream too." Shara says

The female Keyblade Master looks down at her son as he continued to watch the whales.

"And I know my son does too." Shara says

The whales followed the ship as it traveled across the water, riding the waves and continuing to interact with those who watched them from above.

( _Later that night_ )

Devon and Shara were now in the captain's quarters, dining with the good captain himself. Even his first-mate, Jim was in attendance.

The cabin had a big round wooden table and a wooden desk on the right-side. On the desk were sea charts and a compass. The room was lit up with lanterns, five specifically hung up on the walls and the ceiling. Two lanterns hung from the door leading out on deck. Two more hung near the doors to the balcony. And a large lantern was chained to the ceiling. There was also candle sticks inside to light up the room. Three candles holders, holding three candles each were placed on the table.

Near the desk two open shelves stood against the wall. In these shelves was pieces of treasure that Edward and his crew found and collected in exploring the sea.

On the left shelf was a cup made out of pure gold, a small jeweled silver monkey, a small gold jaguar statue, a small gold frog statue, a silver bird vessel that had blue gemstones for eyes, a gold egg-shaped relic that had ancient markings decorating it's sides, a silver skull, a gold goblet that had ruby, emerald, and sapphire gemstones decorating it's sides, a silver cross that had light blue gems on it, a silver nine jeweled ring, a silver vase that had round-shaped diamonds around it's sides, a bronze Buddha statue, a bronze trigram amulet, an antique bronze lion, a mala beaded bracelet, a gold inlay cameo bangle, an ancient metal elephant, a silver filigree bracelet, a small gold scarab, and an ancient coral bracelet.

The gold cup had Incan markings all over it's sides. There was also emerald and sapphire jewels decorating the cup, going in pattern around the top and the bottom.

The silver monkey had big ears, big hands, and small legs. The statue held a blue gem in it's hands close to it's chest. The monkey's tail went up over it's head, going down it's right-side. Four sapphire stones were embedded in the monkey's tail, placed directly over the monkey's head.

The nine jeweled ring as stated had nine different gemstones: Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire, Amethyst, Onyx, Garnet, Turquoise, Pearl, and Diamond. The diamond gemstone was in the center of the ring with the other gemstones surrounding it in a circle.

On the right shelf was a silver ring that had ruby, emerald, and sapphire gemstones in it's band, a gold ring that had diamond-shaped patterns, a small silver turtle statue, a bronze sabaean bull sculpture, a nephrite brass cup, a pewter box, a mori skull watch, a pewter letter cylinder, a brass and ivory tankard, a nephrite and jade bowl, a brass globe hand warmer, a brass pocket sundial, a painted copper bottle that had a light blue sea dragon painted on both sides, a jade serving bowl, a stout blue and white vase, an emerald flask, a grey and white flared bottle, a stoneware bearded jug, a stout jade vase, a dark blue painted spouted vase that had silver swirls decorating it.

On the desk was a small gold statue of a sea dragon, a compass, a pocket celestial map, some sea charts rolled up, and a small box lantern.

The compass on the desk had domed cover made from pure lapis lazuli. The inside lid had a detailed map of the heavens, the central shadow vane made the compass function like a sundial, and the compass disk was made from iron metal.

The table where Shara, Devon, Edward, and Jim sat had a wide assortment of food laid out on silver plates. There was red and green apples, purple and green grapes, a whole chicken, loafs of bread, and fish such as tilapia.

As they ate, Shara told Edward and Jim everything. Her friends, Terra, Ventus, Aqua, and Master Eraqus. The worlds that she and her husband visited and the friends they made. The evil Dark Keyblade Master, Lord Thanatos. Even Devon's prophesized destiny. Edward and Jim found this all so much to take in.

"I must say, Shara, it seems that you've had your fair share of adventure. Sounds like you've been through a lot." Edward says

"I agree. The life of a Keyblade Wielder certaintly must be exhilarating." Jim says

"But to hear that Ducar was lost to a black-hearted demon like Lord Thanatos, it's a shame that is." Edward says

"King Ambrose is having a memorial be made for Ducar. Everyone's going to be there. It would be nice if you and Jim could attend as well." Shara says

"Aye. Don't you worry, lass. We'll be there." Edward says

"Ducar was our friend too. It's only right we pay our respect for him." Jim says

Shara smiled upon hearing this.

"Thank you. Both of you." Shara says

Edward took a sip of his red wine, then looked over at Devon. He could still hardly believe that Devon was destined to become the Legendary Keyblade Master, but he was Ducar's son. His father became a good man of worthy deeds. If he come out a hero, why couldn't his son follow the same path? Edward had as much faith in Devon as did Shara.

Jim also felt that Devon could be worthy of great things. After all, greatness comes from small beginnings. The sailor had absolute faith in the young boy.

"So, Devon, you're on your way to becoming a Keyblade Master, eh? Well, best of luck to ya, lad. I know you'll turn out to be a great man like your father." Edward says

"I have faith in you, Devon. Your father was a hero since he saved me. I'm sure you'll be capable of great deeds too." Jim says

Devon looked at the two men and smiled.

"Well, best we get some shut eye. We'll be approaching the desert region in the morning." Edward says

"There's a spare cabin down below in the crew's quarters. You can sleep there for the night." Jim says

( _Moments later_ )

Devon and Shara both shared a cabin down below deck. The room had only two hammocks both 11ft long on opposite sides, hanging from hooks from the front and back. The hammocks were of cotton fabric and were navy blue in color. They also had a cylinder-shaped pillow for comfort. The cabin also had a lantern hanging from the ceiling by chains for light.

Devon thought about his trip so far and he was having fun already. He rode around Farmer Walton's farm. Now, he and his mother were sailing the sea with Edward Keelhaul. He even got to see a pod of orca whales. He could not wait for what lied ahead.

"So, Devon, you having a good time so far?" Shara asks

Devon nodded his head.

"Yeah, mom. I got to see all those whales. They were cool." Devon says

"I'm sure you're feeling quite excited about visiting Zaharus." Shara says

"Yeah. I can't wait." Devon says

"Well, the sooner we get to sleep, the sooner we'll get there. C'mon. Let's get some rest." Shara says

"Alright. Good-night, mom." Devon says

"Good-night, sweetheart." Shara says

With the tired feeling taking hold of them, both mother and son laid down on their beds and drifted away into sleep. Tomorrow would turn out to be a big day for them. They would travel to the ancient city of Zaharus, one of the oldest civilizations in the Celestial Realm.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I've been watching Free Willy recently, so I thought why not let Devon have his own exciting experience with orca whales? So, we get to see a flashback that goes back months before the events of Birth By Sleep began where Devon interacts with a gentle killer whale. Personally, I've always wanted to experience a close encounter with orcas. I'm sure you all feel the same way I do. Anyway, next up is the Desert City of Zaharus. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review.


	44. The City of Zaharus

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _Elsewhere_ )

The Sea Venture traveled north over the sea with the sun high up in the sky. The morning breeze and the sprail of the sea filled the air. As they sailed across the water, a sailor from the crow's nest yelled out to those on deck down below.

"Land ho!" A sailor yells

Devon and Shara looked out over the railing on the port-side of the ship toward the approaching land. Up ahead was a small town built in a sandy environment. As the ship made it's approach toward the town, Edward walked on over to Shara and Devon.

"Well, this be our stop." Edward says

( _Moments later_ )

The Sea Venture was now docked at the port of the small town. Devon and Shara were standing near the gangway, ready to head out.

"Thank you for bringing us here, Edward. We really appreciate it." Shara says

"No problem at all, Shara. It's been a while since I sailed these waters. I'm just glad I got the chance to sail the sea with ya. It's just like old times with Ducar." Edward says

"But now you have to cross the desert to the City of Zaharus. It'll probably take you a few hours to get there." Jim says

"I'm sure we'll find someone in this town who will take us there." Shara says

"Well, I hope you get there safely." Jim says

Shara looked at Jim and gave him a nod and a smile.

"C'mon, Devon. We'd better get going." Shara says

"Okay." Devon says

Before they could leave, Edward walked over to Devon with something in his right-hand.

"Wait, Devon. I'd like ya to have this." Edward says

Edward gave Devon a silver ring and put it in his hand. This ring had sparkly crystal lines engraved into it's band.

"Consider it a gift from me." Edward says

"Thanks." Devon says

"Yer a bright lad, Devon. And you've got the makings of your father in ya. I want ya to make him proud and become a great Keyblade Wielder, ye hear me?" Edward says

Devon nods his head yes with understanding.

"Thatta boy. Now, go on. Enjoy your trip." Edward says

Both mother and son walked down the gangway and stood down on the dock. As soon as they reached the bottom, they turned around and waved good-bye to the good captain and his sailors.

"Bye, Edward. Bye, Jim. Thanks for everything." Shara says

"Take care and safe travels!" Jim says waving his right-hand

"If yeh ever need anythin', ye know where to find me!" Edward says

Having said farewell to the sailors, the female Keyblade Master and her son went on into the town.

The buildings that made up the town were constructed from sandstone. The streets had some shops that were selling food such as fruit, vegetables, even fish. Some of the people had donkeys, goats, and camels on rope leashes, walking them throughout the town.

Shara and Devon walked through the streets of the town, passing the shops that surrounded them. They soon stopped when a man approached them. This man was known as Rejan.

Rejan was a warrior who dedicated himself to ensure peace and prosperity was maintained throughout the City of Zaharus as well as the rest of the Celestial Realm.

He had brown eyes, short black hair, a short moustache, and a circular beard.

He wore a long, black rope with a grey sash brocaded with silver, sparkly images such as the sun, moon, and stars. He also wore a black headscarf around his head.

His preferred weapon of choice was a silver sabre which was strapped to his right-side in it's leather sheathe. This sabre had a black handle and a crescent-shaped blade, made to resemble a crescent moon.

"Rejan." Shara says with a smile

"Shara, Devon, I was told you'd be coming. It is good to see you have returned to the Celestial Realm." Rejan says

"It's good to see you again too." Shara says

"You wish to visit the ancient city of Zaharus. I will be more than happy to accompany you there." Rejan says

( _Moments later_ )

Devon, Shara, and Rejan were now on camels, riding through the desert. The desert was quite large, spanning out for miles in every direction. Where there was not sand, there were some steep sandstone cliffs, mesas and canyons. The scorching sun bore down on them as they traveled the desert. Fortunately, they had some clay bottles full of cold water to keep them hydrated.

In their travels, they came across a large, wide canyon in the desert. This canyon was known as Sparklight Canyon because of the small diamond crystals planted within the walls. The sunlight beamed down in the canyon, making the crystals sparkle and reflect the light all around, creating a colorful light show. The canyon was several meters wide from one side to the other, but the trio eventually made it out on the other side.

As they rode across the dunes, Rejan spoke to the female Keyblade Master.

"It has been a while since we last saw each other, Shara. Many suns and moons had passed since you left." Rejan says

"I know. I really am glad to be back home. I just wish my husband could've made it back too." Shara says

"I have heard news of Ducar from Cedric. I am sorry, Shara. This must've been a heavy loss for you and your son." Rejan says

"It was." Shara says

"I knew Ducar well. He was a brave warrior, full of courage. He earned much respect from me and my warriors. I could not ask more for a good friend like him." Rejan says

( _Some years ago_ )

Rejan was riding a black horse with four of his fellow warriors. Also with them was Ducar riding a brown horse. The men were riding through the desert when they saw a massive sandstorm approaching them. The horses whinnied nervously at the sight of the sandstorm.

 _"There is a sandstorm approaching! It looks very big! We must find shelter!" Rejan yells_

Ducar looked around and saw a cave in the dunes over to his right. The cave was large enough to fit all the entire group, including their horses.

 _"There! In that cave! Let's move!" Ducar yells pointing to the cave_

 _"Yallah! Yallah!" Rejan yells to his warriors in arabic language_

Moving quickly, the group rode toward the cave. They made it into the cave just as the sandstorm blew in. Inside, Ducar, Rejan, and the warriors made camp and settled down. They all sat around a campfire as it illuminated the cave with it's light.

 _"We should be safe in here until the storm passes." Ducar says_

 _"That was quick thinking, Ducar. You managed to get us safely away from the storm." Rejan says_

Ducar nodded his head with a grin on his face.

 _"Hey, it's what I do. How long until the storm passes?" Ducar says_

 _"I do not know. It looked pretty big. By my guess, it will probably be a couple of hours before it clears." Rejan says_

 _"I hope it passes soon. My wife and son are waiting for me back home. They're the most important people in my life. I don't want them to start worrying about me." Ducar says_

Rejan nodded in understanding. Rejan always knew that family was important and he shared his sympathy with Ducar.

 _"Ducar, I hear that you and your family are preparing to embark on a great journey. To become Keyblade Wielders. Is it true?" Rejan says_

 _"Yes. My wife and I plan to leave soon with our son." Ducar says_

 _"You and your family are lucky, my friend. You've been chosen to bear a great gift. The Keyblade is said to be a mystical weapon of great power that grants the wielder it's ancient magic. I would say the Inheritor was wise to have chosen you and your family." Rejan says_

 _"I know we will become great Keyblade Wielders. And when we return, we will be able to do more good in the world." Ducar says_

 _"And what about your son?" Rejan asks_

 _"We'll still be taking Devon with us. The Inheritor said that he will be able to wield a Keyblade of his own as he gets older. Once me and Shara are both full-fledged Keyblade Wielders, we'll be sure to train him under our care." Ducar says_

Rejan looked at Ducar with a smile on his face and placed his right-hand on his friend's left-shoulder.

 _"I have faith in you, my friend. We all do." Rejan says_

The other warriors in the cave nodded their heads to Ducar. They all believed in Ducar, knowing that he would turn into a great Keyblade Wielder. Ducar looked at each of his companions and smiled.

( _Present time_ )

"I always held true to the belief that Ducar would return a successful Keyblade Wielder. Though I never expected to hear that he had fallen to the darkness." Rejan says

"You know, pretty soon, I'm going to be training Devon to wield his own Keyblade someday. And believe it or not, he has a great destiny before him. He's destined to become the Legendary Keyblade Master." Shara says

Rejan looked back at Devon and Shara.

"It would seem that fate has set this path before your son. Ducar was destined to become a Keyblade Wielder. I am sure his legacy will live on through his child. And just as I had faith on Ducar in the past, I hold the same faith in your son." Rejan says

The trio continued crossing the desert until they saw a large city in the distance.

After hours of traveling the desert, the trio finally reach their destination. Before them stood the wooden gates that led into the city. The gates had two symbols on it. The eight-pointed sun on the left door. And the crescent-shaped moon on the right door.

"Welcome to the ancient city of Zaharus." Rejan says gesturing to the gates with his right-hand

The gates opened up and the trio entered the City of Zaharus.

( _The City of Zaharus_ )

The City of Zaharus was a large city built in the desert, home to the desert people who lived there. The people who lived in the city were humans, dragons, and saurians. The buildings of the city were built with white sandstone. The streets of the city were paved. In the center of the city was the Grand Bazaar, a big, spacious district where many people trade at the stalls and shops.

Also in the center of the city was a tall, four-sided, narrow monument ending with a pyramid-like shape at the top. This monument was known as the Celestial Obelisk. The obelisk was made out of sandstone and had celestial markings carved into it's sides, such as the sun, moon, and stars.

Devon and Shara climbed off their camels and followed Rejan through the city. They walked through the streets and headed into the Grand Bazaar. As they went though the bazaar, they took in all the sights of everything that was going on around them.

The bazaar had traders at many shops and stalls selling all sorts of merchandise. For jewelry, there was rings, necklaces, bracelets, and anklets. Some jewelry had gemstones while others had wood or metal beads. Some were made of silver while others was fashioned out of gold. For food, there was fruit, fish, dates, seeds, even kebabs. A few of the shops had beautiful tapestries and carpets that came in a variety of colors and designs. One shop had cactus plants in various shapes and sizes. Another store had wooden statues of animals like monkeys, birds, cats, and dogs. There was even vases and pottery in some shops that also had unique colors and designs.

There was also street performances in the city. There were fire dancers who twirled around flaming sticks, Bedouin dancers who danced along the sides of the streets, and snake charmers who played their pungi instruments, making cobra snakes rise up from their baskets in a trance.

The Celestial Obelisk stood out in the bazaar like a sore thumb, acting like central marker for a few who sometimes find themselves lost in the large market. Devon was amazed at the sight of the obelisk.

The trio made their way through the streets of the city, moving past the crowd of people. Among the crowd was a man known as Sahab.

Sahab was a kind, dedicated family man who lived in the City of Zaharus.

He had tan skin, a moustache, a scruffy beard, brown eyes, and short black hair.

He wore a red fez, white shirt, white pants, and brown sandals.

Sahab was out on a stroll through the city when he saw Shara and Devon walking in the streets. As soon as he saw them, a smile formed on Sahab's face and he immediately went over to greet them.

"Shara!" Sahab exclaims

Shara turned around and watched with a happy look on her face as Sahab approached her. When she was in reach, Sahab embraces the female Keyblade Master in a big hug.

"Oh, Shara. It is so good to see you again." Sahab says

"Good to see you too, Sahab." Shara says

Sahab turns his attention to Devon and kneels down to him.

"Hello, Devon. Good to see you." Sahab says

"Hi." Devon says

"My friends, I am glad we have spent our time together, but this is where I must leave you." Rejan says

"Thank you, Rejan." Shara says

"May our paths cross again in the future. Farewell." Rejan says

With that said, Rejan took his leave and disappeared into the crowd.

"So, what are you doing out here, Sahab?" Shara asks

"I was taking a stroll through the city with my two children, Bulam and Mita." Sahab says

Shara looked around but she didn't see Sahab's children anywhere.

"Where are they?" Shara asks

"Oh, they are here... somewhere." Sahab says

As if on cue, two young kids named Bulam and Mita ran through the streets toward the trio.

Bulam was a young boy and Sahab's son.

He had tan skin, brown eyes, and short brown hair.

He wore a beige shirt, white pants, and black sandals.

Mita was a young girl, Bulam's sister, and Sahab's daughter.

She had tan skin, blue eyes, and long brown hair.

She wore brown robes, a navy blue shirt, dark brown pants, and brown sandals.

Both of the children were the same age as Devon.

"Ah, there they are." Sahab says

Bulam and Mita ran over to their father. Sahab kneeled down to the small children and spoke to them.

"Children! Look and see who is here." Sahab says gesturing toward Shara and Devon

Bulam and Mita looked over at Shara and were very happy to see her. Shara lowered down to the two siblings and greeted them.

"Hi, Bulam. Hi, Mita." Shara greets

"Hello, Shara." Bulam greets

"As-salaam alakium, Shara." Mita greets.

Bulam and Mita soon look towards Devon and were very happy to see him too.

"Hi, Devon." Mita greets waving her right-hand

"Hi." Devon greets waving his right-hand shyly

"We did not know you got back." Mita says

"Well, we're back now." Devon says with a cheeky smile stretching his arms out

"What brings you here to Zaharus?" Bulam asks

"My mom and I are on a trip around the island. What are you guys doing?" Devon says

"We were playing with Sabi, but we lost him in the city." Bulam says

"And now we can't find him." Mita says

Mita turned and looked up at her father.

"Father, have you seen Sabi around? We can't find him anywhere." Mita asks

"No. I have not seen him." Sahab says

Suddenly, Devon felt something drop down onto his back and everyone's attention was drawn to him. Perched on Devon's shoulders was a small monkey named Sabi.

Sabi was Sahab's family pet monkey. He wore a red-violet vest and a red fez ontop of his head. The hat was decorated with yellow circlar patterns and sparkles.

"Oh, there he is." Bulam says

"He he. He really seems to like Devon." Mita giggles

"Yes, I suppose he does. Heh heh heh." Sahab says

Devon looked at the small monkey with a smile on his face as it perched itself on his shoulder.

"Come. Come. We shall talk more at my home." Sahab says

Sahab walked ahead with his two children going down the street. Shara and Devon followed close behind as Sahab led them through the city.

Unknown to the group, a figure stood in the shadows of an alleyway. This figure was a man known as Kaejo.

Kaejo was a sly, cunning, ruthless mercenary who worked for the Dark Lord of the Shadows in his empire.

He used to be part of the Celestial Guard, working alongside Ducar and his comrades to ensure peace continues to thrive throughout their glorious home. But his selfish behavior and vicious tactics revealed him to be inadequate to continue service. He eventually grew tired and left the Celestial Guard, beginning a life of crime. It wasn't long before he was banished from the Celestial Realm and cast out into the Lanes Between. That was when the Dark Lord of the Shadows found him and offered him power, fortune, glory, and a place in his empire for his services in exchange for his loyalty. Kaejo gladly accepted for his desire of ambition and became the Dark Lord's spy, mercenary, and ruthless commander.

He had short, black hair, one dark brown eye, a beard along with a goatee, and a well-built physique.

He wore a black vest, leather vambraces, black fingerless gloves, grey pants, and black boots. He also wore leather pads strapped to his upper arms. The right-side portion of his face was covered by cybernetic implants which also included a red-hued bionic eye. Around his waist, he wore a black belt with a silver clip-on buckle.

His weapon of choice were two Butterfly Knives which were strapped to his back. These knives had single edges, three holes in the blade, and five curved hooks along the top.

Kaejo was here on a mission for which the Dark Lord had tasked him: To search for the boy who was destined to become the Legendary Keyblade Master. Of course, he must've figured that was none other than Ducar's son, Devon.

"So, Ducar's little brat is the destined Legendary Keyblade Master. Heh. Not if the Dark Lord has anything to say about that. Enjoy life back home in your precious world while you can. 'Cause pretty soon there ain't gonna be any life left when he's done. The Dark Lord shall soon be the new ruler of the Universe. And I'll be rich. Heh heh heh." Kaejo says

With sick, twisted thoughts brewing in his mind, Kaejo retreats into the shadows while his bionic eye glows in the darkness before disappearing.

( _Moments later_ )

The female Keyblade Master and her son were now at Sahab's home, standing on the flat roof of a tall building.

Like all the other buildings in the city, the home was constructed with white sandstone. The rooftop was built like a balcony, offering a grand view of the city. On this rooftop balcony was some whicker chairs that had multi-colored cushions, a wooden table, and a canopy that had circular-shaped holes. There were even some pots that had plants such as cactuses and beautiful, colorful desert flowers. On the table sitting on wooden plates were fruit such as apples, grapes, bananas, and some sliced watermelon. Also on the table was a small wooden bowl full of dates.

Bulam and Mita sat at the table, eating the fruit that was laid out for them. Sabi took a date from the bowl and bit down on it with his small mouth. Shara and Devon stood along the stone railing of the rooftop, taking in the sights of the city. They had a magnificient view from where they stood. They could even see the Celestial Obelisk as it stood out in the center of the city like a sore thumb. Sahab walked over to the two and stood alongside them with a cup of juice in his right-hand.

"Such a glorious view, isn't it?" Sahab asks

"I'll say." Devon says in awe

"It's definitely been a while since our last visit here." Shara says

"I can only assume that you've had some wonderful experiences while you were away." Sahab says

"Trust me, Sahab. You won't believe what me and Ducar have been through." Shara says

"Please, Shara, tell me what has happened since you and Ducar left?" Sahab asks

"It's a bit of a long story, Sahab. But I'll try to tell you everything." Shara says

Over the next few hours, Shara told Sahab and his family everything that had happened since she and her family left the Celestial Realm. First, she started with her friends, Terra, Aqua, Ventus, and their mentor, Master Eraqus. Next, she told them about the Mark of Mastery Exam when she became a full-fledged Keyblade Master. Then, she spoke of the different worlds she visited. All the special people she met. What she had learned during her adventure. Even Devon's destiny to become the Legendary Keyblade Master.

Once she was done explaining that, she moved on to the bad parts of her story. First, she started with Lord Thanatos, the evil Dark Keyblade Master. Next, she told them about Master Xehanort and Vanitas, not to mention the Unversed. Then, she told them about their epic battle in the Keyblade Graveyard. Devon's kidnapping. Ducar's corruption to the darkness in his heart. She even mentioned the fate of her friends. Terra's possession. Ventus' comatose state. And Aqua being lost in the Realm of Darkness.

Finally, she came down to when they returned to the Celestial Realm. How Devon fell into his own comatose state thanks to Lord Thanatos. How she promised to look after her son and train him to wield a Keyblade of his own one day. And that they were on a trip around the island, visiting the other settlements to account for the time they had been gone.

Sahab was left speechless. He never thought that Shara's time away from home would be such a thrilling adventure.

"I must say, Shara, you must've had quite an adventure." Sahab says

However, when Sahab heard what happened to Ducar, he felt sadness in his heart.

"But to hear that Ducar has fallen is a terrible tragedy. He was a very good friend." Sahab says

Sahab looked down at his drink as he remembered the last time he saw Ducar.

( _Some years ago_ )

It was a bright, sunny day much like as it was in the present. Ducar was up on the rooftop of Sahab's home with Sahab himself. The two men shared a drink as they looked out into the city, admiring the view.

 _"Man I'm telling you, Sahab. No matter how many times I come here, I never get tired of this view." Ducar says_

Sahab nodded his head in agreement.

 _"Yes. The view is quite grand. Much like the city, eh?" Sahab says_

 _"Yeah. The city. The people. All the shops and stalls. It's all great." Ducar says_

Ducar and Sahab went over to the table, set their drinks down and took a seat in their chairs.

 _"What about you, Ducar? I hear that you and your family are well on your way to becoming Keyblade Wielders." Sahab says_

 _"Yep. We'll be on our way soon to the Land of Departure. Master Eraqus will be waiting for us there with his two students." Ducar says_

 _"Sounds really exciting." Sahab says_

 _"I'm sure it is." Ducar says_

 _"It will be sad to watch you go, Ducar. But I have faith in you, my friend." Sahab says_

Ducar looked at his friend and smiled.

 _"Thanks, Sahab." Ducar says_

Ducar grabbed his drink and held it up as a toast to his training. Sahab grabbed his drink and held it up as well.

 _"To a bright future." Ducar says_

 _"To a bright future." Sahab says_

The two men laughed and clinked their drinks together.

( _Present time_ )

Sahab continued to stare at his drink as he thought about Ducar.

"Ducar became part of my family. We all loved him." Sahab says

Shara leaned closer to the table and placed her right-hand on Sahab's hand.

"I'm sure you did, Sahab." Shara says

Sahab nodded his head.

"I am sorry for you loss, Shara. But life goes on. My children and your son are the proof." Sahab says

Shara turns her head left and looks at Devon as he sat with her.

"Yeah. You're right about that." Shara says

"So, is it true? Is Devon really destined to become the Legendary Keyblade Master?" Sahab asks

"Mm-hm. It's all true. The Inheritor said so himself. And when he gets older, I'm going to train him to wield his own Keyblade." Shara says nodding her head

"That is good. I am sure Devon will grow up to be just like his father, eh?" Sahab says

Devon nodded his head.

"Yeah. I'm gonna grow up to be just like my dad. I'll be able to help people and be a hero." Devon says

"I'm certain you will, Devon. I believe in you." Sahab says

Shara looked at her son and smiled. Devon looked back at her mother with a smile of his own. The small monkey, Sabi climbed up Devon's left-arm and perched himself on his shoulders. Sahab took hold of his drink and held it up as a toast to Devon's training. Shara grabbed her drink and held it up as well.

"To a bright future." Sahab says

"To a bright future." Shara says

Shara and Sahab made their toast and they clinked their drinks together.

( _Later that night_ )

Night has now fallen and everyone was getting ready for bed. The stars glittered in the night sky and the full moon shone it's bright light down on the city. The light from the moon made the symbols on the Celestial Obelisk glow with blue light.

Sahab offered Shara and Devon a spare room in his home, a place for them to sleep in. The room had pale blue painted walls, two soft beds with navy blue blankets, a wooden dressers in-between the two beds with a single lamp on top, and a balcony which the doors to it were left open. On the smooth, stone floor was a large, square, tan rug that had blue, red, and violet zig-zag patterns along the edges. The inside of the rug had similar colored stripes going around until they got smaller and smaller in the center.

Shara was also in the room, getting ready for bed with her son. Devon was all tucked in underneath the blankets, laying on his right-side, facing his mother.

"Alright, Devon. It's time to get some sleep. We'll be heading out for the Crystal Caves next." Shara says

"Okay." Devon says

The female Keyblade Master rubbed her right-hand on her son's head, brushing through his hair.

"Good-night, Devon." Shara says

"Good-night, mom." Devon says

Shara gave her son a kiss on his head, then got up and laid down on her bed. Devon watched as his mother went to sleep. He then rolled over onto his left-side to face the balcony doors. The young child looked up at the stars, wondering what will become of his life once he was a Keyblade Wielder. As he laid in bed, he began to get sleepy. Eventually, Devon succumbed to his sleepiness and he closed his eyes, drifting off into sleep, resting comfortably throughout the night.

( _Meanwhile_ )

In the Realm of Darkness, deep inside the Palace of Shadows, Kaejo met with the Dark Lord of the Shadows in his throne room. Lord Thanatos and Lord Drazor was also in the room, standing alongside their supreme master. The mercenary stood before the Lords of Evil at the foot of the steps that led up to the Dark Lord's throne, delivering his report.

 _ **"ArE yOu CeRtAiN oF tHiS?"**_ The Dark Lord asks

"Absolutely. Saw 'em with my own eyes. The little brat and his mother are back home in the Celestial Realm." Kaejo says

 **"IT'S JUST AS YOU PREDICTED, MI LORD. SHARA AND HER SON RETURNED BACK TO THEIR WORLD."** Lord Thanatos says turning his head right toward his master

 ** _"ThIs ChIlD mUsT bE dEaLt WiTh ImMeDiAtElY. He MuSt DiE bEfOrE hE gRoWs To BeCoMe ThE LeGeNdArY KeYbLaDe MaStEr."_** The Dark Lord says

"And his mother? What about Shara, Ducar's wife?" Kaejo asks

 _ **"ThE mOtHeR dIeS aS wElL. ShE mUsT nOt Be AlLoWeD tO tRaIn HeR sOn To WiElD a KeYbLaDe."** _ The Dark Lord says

"I know the perfect time to strike. The annual Battle Royale tournament is coming up within the next week. The Celestial Realm's best warriors will be fighting each other in the tournament. By it's end, they'll be left weak and tired. And then, there's the Celestial Festival which will be a day after the tournament. They'll be completely off guard. It's perfect!" Kaejo says

 ** _"YeS. YoUr KnOwLeDgE oF yOuR wOrLd HaS pRoVeN vAlUaBlE tO oUr CaUsE, KaEjO."_ ** The Dark Lord says

Kaejo nodded his head toward his master with a sinister grin on his face. The Dark Lord closes his eyes as he thought toward the Inheritor's failure.

 ** _"InHeRiToR, yOu ArE FoOlIsH tO tHiNk YoUr PrEcIoUs KeYbLaDe WiElDeRs ArE sAfE aNd SeCuRe In ThEiR wOrLd. ThEy wIlL nOt EsCaPe My GrAsP aGaIn. BoTh MoThEr AnD sOn WiLl ShArE tHe SaMe HoRrIfIc FaTe ThAt WiLl BeFaLl ThEiR wOrLd. ThEy WiLl BoTh DiE tOgEtHeR."_ ** The Dark Lord thought to himself

The Dark Lord soon opened his eyes, looked over to the left at Lord Thanatos and Lord Drazor and gave them a single order.

 _ **"PrEpArE mY aRmY. I wAnT iT rEaDy To InVaDe ThE CeLeStIaL ReAlM wItHiN tHe CoMiNg WeEk."**_ The Dark Lord says

Lord Thanatos and Lord Drazor both nodded their heads, acknowledging their master's order. They walked down the steps of the throne and left the room with Kaejo following them.

 ** _"I mAy HaVe FaIlEd To AcHiEvE tHe X-bLaDe AnD KiNgDoM HeArTs, BuT I wIlL hAvE tHe SoUl Of ThE KeYbLaDe'S cHoSeN oNe. ThE gReAt WoRlD cOnQuEsT wIlL sOoN bEgIn. AnD tHe CeLeStIaL ReAlM sHaLl Be ThE fIrSt Of MaNy WoRlDs To FalL."_** The Dark Lord says

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Welcome to the City of Zaharus. This chapter introduces two more OCs: Rejan, a peace-keeping warrior, and Sahab, another friend of Devon's family. There is also some more friends for Devon: Bulam and Mita. For voice references, Rejan is voiced by TJ Ramini, the voice of Salim from _Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception_. Sahab is voiced by John Rhys-Davies, who portrayed as Sallah from _Raiders of the Lost Ark_. Bulam is voiced by Aidan Gemme, the voice of Babu, the young monkey from _Treasure Buddies_. And Mita is voiced by Ranya Jaber, who portrayed as the young girl, Farah also from _Treasure Buddies_. But wait, another OC makes his debut in this story and he's working for the Dark Lord of the Shadows. His name is Kaejo, a ruthless mercenary who's gonna cause some real trouble for Shara and Devon. And for voice reference, Kaejo is voiced by Michael McConnohie, the voice of Kano from _Mortal Kombat X_. I've got a whole lot more OCs I can't wait to bring forth and let's just say I'm on a roll. Also, I've found a more suitable voice reference for Lord Thanatos. From now on, Lord Thanatos will be voiced by Doug Bradley, the voice of Pinhead from the _Hellraiser Franchise_. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	45. Crystal Caves

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The City of Zaharus_ )

The dawn of a new day came with the sun high up in the clear, blue sky. Shara and Devon stood at the city gates, preparing for their trip to Crystal Caves with Sahab, Bulam, Mita, and the small monkey, Sabi, who was perched on Bulam's shoulders, all ready to say good-bye. Also with them was a man known as Tariq who had Sahab requested to guide Shara and Devon through the desert.

Tariq was a kind man who was always willing to help others.

He had dark brown eyes, a stubble beard, and dark brown hair.

He wore a grey head scarf, dark brown robes, and brown sandals.

Sahab walked up to Shara and Devon with his two children and spoke to them.

"So, my friends, I guess this is good-bye?" Sahab asks

"Yeah. We have to go. We were only staying for a day. We need to be back in time for the Battle Royal in Starlight town anyway." Shara says

"I understand." Sahab says nodding his head

In less than a second, Sahab embraces Shara in a big hug.

"Look after each other. I will miss you." Sahab says

"Thank you, Sahab. Perhaps we'll visit again sometime." Shara says

"I would like that very much." Sahab says

Sahab walks over to Tariq and speaks to him.

"Tariq, please see my friends safely through the desert." Sahab says

"Do not worry. They will be safe with me." Tariq says

Sahab nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"Well, we'd better get going." Shara says

Now ready for the journey ahead, Shara, Devon, and Tariq mounted their camels and set off into the desert.

"Bye, Devon!" Mita says

"Take care!" Bulam says

Sahab and his two children waved good-bye and watched as their friends ride away from the city.

( _Moments later_ )

The female Keyblade Master and her son rode through the desert following Tariq as he led them on the path toward their destination. They passed through Sparklight Canyon and continued moving north-west. The trio entered some more canyons and followed the trail ahead of them. Eventually, they came upon a rockwall that had an opening into a long tunnel. And leaning against the mouth of the tunnel entrance was a man known as Bruno, who was waiting for them.

Bruno was a tall man with a cool, calm personality. He was also a very good friend of Devon's family.

He had short dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, and a muscular physique.

He wore a grey tank top, dark blue jeans, black fingerless gloves, and black boots.

When Bruno saw Shara and Devon, a smile formed on his face. He waved his right-hand in greeting and walked over to the trio.

"Hey, look who it is! Shara! Devon! Been a while. Nice seein' you twos again." Bruno greets

"Hi, Bruno." Shara greets

Shara and Devon dismounted their camels while Tariq stayed on his camel.

"Well, my friends, it is here that we part ways." Tariq says

"Thank you for bringing us this far, Tariq. We really appreciate it." Shara says

"Until we meet again. Farewell." Tariq says

Having completed his task, Tariq rode off back toward the City of Zaharus.

"So, Shara, how've you been doing?" Bruno asks

"I'm doing fine. I'm a Keyblade Master now." Shara says

"For real? That's awesome." Bruno says

Bruno soon noticed that Ducar wasn't around.

"Hey. Where's Ducar? Why isn't he here?" Bruno asks

Shara remained silent for a moment.

"Bruno... It's kind of a long story. Perhaps we should go inside first. There's alot I need to explain." Shara says

Bruno saw the solemn look that was on Shara's face and he could tell something was wrong. The man nodded his head and gestured with his right-hand for them to follow him.

"Alright. Follow me." Bruno says

Shara and Devon followed Bruno as he led them into the tunnel. The tunnel was dark, but there were some blue glowing crystal shards planted along the walls to illuminate the way. Eventually, the trio made their way into a large cave and arrived at their destination. As soon as they stepped into the cave, Devon was astounded by what he saw.

( _Crystal Caves_ )

Crystal Caves was a subterranean city located deep underground. There was a network of tunnels that spread underneath the entire island, connecting to the other regions, towns, and villages. The huts here were domed and made out of stone with circular holes acting as windows and openings for doorways. A large, clear crystal was planted on the ceiling of the cave, illuminating the underground city with it's light. The walls and ceiling surrounding the city was also studded with crystals, helping to illuminate the city evenmore.

In this cave were humans, dragons, saurians, and even dwarves. Some humans and saurians were wheeling carts full of crystals and gemstones, each one different in color and shape. Some dragons pulled carts of their own with a human rider mounted on their backs. And some dwarves were mining resources such as crystals, gemstones, silver, gold, and pure metal.

Most of the huts in the city were used as work places for the people here. In one of the huts was the forge where weapons and rings were crafted. In another hut was a workshop.

Bruno led Shara and Devon across the cave toward a large stone hut which was in the center of the city. This hut had at least six circular windows around it's sides and an open entrance in the front. The trio went through the entrance and stepped inside the hut.

The interior of the hut was astounding. On the ceiling was a large, colorful crystal, each shard a different color. In the middle of the hut was a round table that had a diagram map, giving a layout of the Celestial Realm's underground system. The map displayed a system of tunnels, some of which led to the other regions of the island. And in the center of the map was Crystal Caves which was the vocal point for the tunnel system.

Standing around the table was two people: a dragon known as Zartus, and a dwarf named Grothar.

Zartus was a large earth dragon who was strong and kind with a gentle heart.

He had dark green scales, blue eyes, a muscular-build, and a club-like tail. His wings had a tan-colored membrane. He wore two silver bracelets on both his front and back paws.

Grothar was a male dwarf who was strong, proud, and fiercely loyal to his friends.

He had dark brown hair, blue eyes, and a thick, braided beard.

He wore a dark blue leather hauberk shirt, a dark blue leather talbard surcoat, black leather vambraces, black pants, and black boots. Around his waist, he wore a black belt with a silver trapezoid-shaped buckle.

Zartus and Grothar were friends of Devon's family and were also members of the Celestial Guard. They were both looking down on the map when Bruno approached them.

"Yo, guys, check out who I found." Bruno says

Zartus and Grothar looked up at Bruno as he stepped over to the left, presenting Shara and Devon to them. When the dragon and dwarf both saw them, happy smiles formed on their faces.

"Ah, Shara. This is quite a surprise." Grothar says

"Hi, guys." Shara says

"Glad to see you made it back." Zartus says

Zartus shifts his gaze toward Devon, lowers his head down to him, and looks upon the young boy with a gentle smile.

"Hello, little one. How are you?" Zartus asks

"I'm fine." Devon says

"That's good to hear." Zartus says

Now, it was Grothar's turn to greet Devon. The dwarf walks over to the young boy and looks him up and down.

"By my beard! You've gotten bigger since I last saw ya, Devon. You were just a wee tiny lad back then. Now look at ya. You almost look like your father back when he was a boy. Ha ha ha!" Grothar says

"Speaking of Ducar, where is he? I noticed he wasn't with you." Zartus asks

Again, upon hearing Duar's name, a solemn look appeared on Shara's face.

"I think I'd better start explaining." Shara says

And just as she did with her other friends, the female Keyblade Master told Bruno, Zartus, and Grothar her story. She explained everything to them. Her friends, the worlds she visited, the things she learned, the struggles she faced, Ducar's fate, even Devon's destiny to become the Legendary Keyblade Master. The man, dragon, and dwarf listened with great interest and they took in every detail. Just as in the past, it took Shara a few hours to explain everything. When Shara finally finished her story, the trio were left speechless. That was until Bruno spoke first.

"Wow. It's unbelievable what you've been doing while you were away." Bruno says

"Aye. Sounds like you've had quite an adventure." Grothar says

"Although, it's a shame that Ducar was not able to return home with you." Zartus says

"Yeah. It was hard losing my husband." Shara says

Shara looked right at Devon and she saw a slightly sad frown on his face.

"And it was especially hard on my son." Shara says

"You know, I remember the times when Ducar used to come down here. We would hang out sometimes and talk. He even helped us out with some of the work we've got going on down here. It was nice having him around." Bruno says

"Aye. We dwarves enjoyed Ducar's company. We all saw the goodness in his heart. Even I've seen it. He was a real good friend." Grothar says

"He was an honorable man." Zartus says

Everyone remained silent for a moment as they thought of Ducar and all the joy he brought in their hearts. Eventually, Grothar broke the silence and decided to change the subject.

"You know what I find amazing? That this young lad is going to be the Legendary Keyblade Master!" Grothar says pointing to Devon with his right-hand

Bruno looked at Devon with a smile. He walked over to the young boy and he placed his hands on his shoulders.

"You hear that, little man? You got a big road ahead of you. You're gonna be able to help dozens of people just like your pop. What do you think of that?" Bruno says

"I'm gonna grow up to be just like him. I'll be the best Keyblade Wielder I can be." Devon says

"Alright! That's what I like to hear." Bruno says patting Devon's shoulders

"I am sure your father's legacy will live on through you, young one. I have faith in you." Zartus says

The young boy put on a determined face and he nodded at the large dragon in understanding.

"Well, I think we've been sitting here for long enough. Why don't we show you around? You know? We can go see the Glittering Cave. I like to visit there sometimes. We could check it out." Bruno says

"Aye. Let's go. I'd like to see how my dwarven brethren is doing with the prospectin'." Grothar says

Everyone agreed and they all left the hut, moving out into the city. They moved passed workers as they went about their jobs whether it was pulling carts full of resources, digging for minerals, or construction. The group entered the tunnel on the south side of the city. Inside, the tunnel split up in two different passageways. The one on the left led to Starlight Town. The other one on the right led to the Glittering Cave. The two paths were marked with wooden signs hanging over them, illuminated by the blue glowing crystals that were planted along the walls.

Sticking to the path on the right, the group made their way through the tunnel. Eventually, they came out of the tunnel and arrived in the Glittering Cave.

The Glittering Cave was a wide, massive underground cavern which was the primary source of the luminous crystals for the Celestial Realm. As it's name suggests, the cave was full of colorful, glowing crystals. It was one of the greatest mines down in the underground region. Here, dozens of humans, dwarves, and saurians diggers were collecting dozens of crystals and placed them into carts for them to be shipped out to the surface.

Devon looked upon the cave in amazement. He had never seen so many glowing crystals in his life. Grothar took a few strides forward and placed his hands on his waist, looking at the mine with pride.

"Ah. Here it is. The Glittering Cave. Ain't it magnificent?" Grothar says gesturing to the mine

"It's amazing." Devon says

"Ha ha ha! I thought you'd say that, lad." Grothar says patting Devon's back with his right-hand

"It is quite a sight to behold." Zartus says

"Why don't we take a look down below? See how our guys are doin'." Bruno says

The group walked over to a lift that was nearby and stepped on. They descended down to the bottom of the mine, going several feet down. Eventually, they reached the bottom and stepped off the lift. The lower level of the cave was a bit dark, but there was some flood lights and the glow of the crystals to illuminate the area. Lying around the ground were wooden crates and carts full of colorful crystals, ready to be hauled away.

"All the crystals we have in the Celestial Realm. They all come from right down here. We have enough to last us a lifetime." Grothar says

"It is good to have plenty of resources." Shara says

"I hear that. You know, I remember Ducar sayin' the same thing." Bruno says

Grothar looked off toward a rock wall and something caught his eye.

"Ah. What have we here?" Grothar says

The dwarf walked over to the wall, taking a nearby hammer and chisel. Everyone saw Grothar walking off in a different direction and they followed him.

"You got something, Grothar?" Zartus asks

"Yep." Grothar says

Using the tools in his hands, the dwarf gently chisels the rock away, revealing a crystal stone in the rock wall.

"Well, lookie here. Ain't this a beauty." Grothar says

"What is it?" Shara asks

Grothar turned around and held out his right-hand, revealing a clear, oval-shaped diamond stone.

"This here's a nebula stone. It's a very rare, very special crystal stone that glows with glints of rainbow colors." Grothar says

"It's pretty." Devon says

"Yep. That's why I'm givin' it to you, lad." Grothar says

"What?" Devon asks

Grothar walked over to Devon and placed the glowing diamond in his hand.

"Take it. Consider it as a welcome home gift from me. Besides, I think it's better for it to be in the hands of the future Keyblade Master, eh?" Grothar says

Devon stared at Grothar who looked back at him with a kind smile. A smile formed on the young boy's face and he nodded his head, giving the dwarf his thanks. He then looked down at the diamond in his hand and stared at the crystal stone as he admired the colorful glow it emitted.

"Right. Well, I'd say it's time we head back." Grothar says

"Yeah. We should all get some rest." Bruno says

"Me and my son will definitely need it. Tomorrow, we'll be head up to Sky Peak Village. Then, it's off to Luminous Jungle and back home to Starlight Town." Shara says

( _Moments later_ )

The group were now walking through the tunnel, making their way back to the underground city.

"So, Shara, you're gonna be in the Battle Royale?" Bruno asks

"Yep." Shara says

"Wow. I never thought you'd be wanting to participate. I remember you were always on the sidelines, cheering for Ducar when he fought." Bruno says

"Yeah. I did back then. But I thought now that I'm back home, I thought I'd show my friends what I learned with my Keyblade." Shara says

"Alright. But just so you know, I'm gonna be in the tournament too. I'm a professional boxer and I'm quite the contender." Bruno says

"I know. Ducar always told me of your sparring matches. He would sometimes come home with a black eye." Shara says

"Heh heh. Yeah. Those were the days. Me and Ducar. We were both pretty good when it came to boxing. It taught us a lot of things. Strength. Spirit. Determination. We both loved it." Bruno says

As he continued walking, Bruno thought back to the last time he saw Ducar.

( _Flashback_ )

Months before Devon's family left for the Land of Departure, Ducar and Bruno were both standing in a boxer's ring inside one of huts in the underground city of Crystal Caves which was used as a gym by some for workouts. The two men were both putting their boxing gloves on, preparing themselves for a sparring match.

Ducar wore a black tank top, black shorts, black boots, and black boxing gloves while Bruno wore a grey tank top, grey shorts, black boots, and black boxing gloves.

 _"So, Ducar, I hear you and your family are leaving soon. To become Keyblade Masters, right?" Bruno asks_

 _"Yes." Ducar says_

 _"Well, I say go for it, pal. I feel like you were meant to do something like this." Bruno says_

The two men did a few stretches until they were ready to square down.

 _"You ready?" Bruno asks_

 _"As I'll ever be." Ducar says spreading his arms out_

 _"Care to ring the bell?" Bruno asks_

Ducar smiled and he made a gesture with his left-hand as if he was actually ringing a bell.

 _"Ding. Ding." Ducar says_

With that, their match began. Ducar and Bruno began circling each other while keeping their fists up.

 _"C'mon, man. Show me what you got." Bruno taunts_

 _"Alright then." Ducar says_

Within moments, Ducar closed the distance and began hitting Bruno with a couple of body jabs. He then went on to deliver a right-hook to Bruno's head, but he quickly leaned away, making Ducar miss. It was now Bruno's turn to strike. He came at Ducar with three punches to the head, making him stagger backwards. Bruno went for a right-hand uppercut, but Ducar leaned his body over to the left and countered with a jab to the rib. He then followed up with six quick jabs to Bruno's stomach and one head straight blow that sent Bruno back.

Bruno came back at Ducar with a couple of body jabs, but he made sure to block the blows with his gloves. Bruno had Ducar pinned in a corner of the ring, delivering punch after punch. He then went for a left-hook, but Ducar quickly ducked down, making Bruno miss and spin. Ducar began assaulting Bruno with at least six head punches. Bruno tried to get back at Ducar with a right-hook, but he leaned his body away, making Bruno miss. Ducar delivered several head punches with his right-hand, forcing Bruno into another corner. He followed up with a series of jabs, body hooks, and head straight punches. Finally, he finishes the fight with a strong uppercut that knocked Bruno down, making him fall backwards and land flat on his back.

 _"Looks like I win." Ducar says_

Bruno got back up on his feet and looked at Ducar with a smile on his face.

 _"Yo, I see youse gonna be a great Keyblade Master. Five years from now, I betcha when you get back, people are gonna say 'Hey, ain't that Ducar, the Keyblade Master?' and they're gonna say 'Yeah, that's him. The one and only.'. I can tell man you're gonna go the distance." Bruno says_

 _"I know I will. And I'll have the power to do all the world more good." Ducar says_

The two men smiled and they both walked out of the gym. Bruno rested his right-arm around Ducar's neck as they left.

( _Present time_ )

Bruno always felt that Ducar was like a brother to him. The two of them were very close friends. Bruno knew that his friend may be gone, but his memories of their time together would always live on.

"You know, Ducar and me, we were like brothers. We was best friends. But now that he's gone, my heart feels broken. I ain't ever gonna forget all the times we've had together. That's a promise." Bruno says

"Ducar may be gone, but our memories of him still remain. As long as we remember him as the good man he was, he'll still live on in our hearts." Shara says

Bruno looked at Shara and he nodded in agreement. The female Keyblade Master was right. Ducar may be gone, but as long as he was remembered by those who loved and cared about him, he would live on forever in their hearts.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Okay. So here's the underground city of Crystal Caves. Here's some more OCs: Tariq, Bruno, Zartus, and Grothar. For voice references, Tariq is voiced by Omid Abtahi, the voice of Farid from _Call of Duty: Black Ops 2_. Grothar is voiced by Carlos Larkin, the voice of the dwarf, Muradin from _World of Warcraft_. Zartus is voiced by Chris Metzen, the voice of the Orc Warchieftan, Thrall also from _World of Warcraft_. And Bruno is voiced by Sylvester Stallone, who portrayed as Rocky Balboa in the _Rocky Franchise_. Next up on the Celestial Realm Tour is Sky Peak Village. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	46. Sky Peak Village

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _Crystal Caves_ )

It was now morning time in Crystal Caves and Shara and her son, Devon, were now preparing themselves for their trip to Sky Peak Village. Bruno, Zartus, and Grothar stood with them at the north tunnel ready to see them off.

"So, I guess this is it, huh? You leaving already?" Bruno asks

"Yes. It's time for me and my son to be on our way to Sky Peak Village. We really need to finish up our trip." Shara says

"Well, in any case, it was nice having to see you both again." Zartus says

"Aye." Grothar says nodding his head

"And don't forget. There's gonna be a memorial for Ducar in Starlight Town." Shara says

"Don't you worry, lass. We'll be there." Grothar says holding his right-hand up

Bruno walks up to Shara and places his right-hand on her shoulder.

"You take care of yourself, you hear me, Shara?" Bruno says

Shara nodded her head in understanding. Bruno looks down at Devon and kneels down to the young boy.

"And you be good and take good care of your mother, you hear me, Devon?" Bruno says

Devon nodded his head in understanding.

"I will." Devon says

Bruno smiled and he patted Devon's shoulder.

"Well, thanks a lot guys. We'd better get going." Shara says

With that said, the female Keyblade Master and her son began heading into the tunnel while the man, dragon, and dwarf waved good-bye.

"We'll be seein' ya." Bruno says waving his right-hand

"Safe travels." Zartus says waving his right-paw

"Take good care of that stone, lad." Grothar says waving his right-hand

The trio watched as Shara and Devon proceeded into the tunnel before they soon disappeared out of sight, fading away into the darkness.

( _Moments later_ )

Shara and Devon continued walking down the tunnel for several minutes, following the path infront of them. The glowing crystals along the walls helped illuminate their way through the dark tunnel. Devon held the Nebula Stone that Grothar gave him in his right-hand. The beautiful light it emitted also helped light the way as they moved forward.

After walking for at least an hour, Shara and Devon began approaching the end of the tunnel as the light from the outside world got closer and closer. As they approached the exit, Devon put his gemstone back in his pocket. Soon enough, both mother and son were back outside on the surface. The light from the sun blinded them for a brief moment since they had been deep in the underground city for a while and they held their hands up to shield their eyes, but their vision quickly adjusted to the enviornment.

Lowering their hands, the female Keyblade Master and her son looked around and found themselves standing in a forest of bamboo wood. Looking up ahead, they also saw a small village in a clearing just a few miles away. Shara and Devon both began walking toward the village, hoping that someone would be more than willing to take them up to Sky Peak Village.

The village as stated was small for it had only a few buildings. There were a few stalls and shops in the village streets that mostly had food to offer. Some had fish like salmon, tuna, and sushi. Others had vegetables like lettuce, carrots, ginger, and soy beans. Even one stall was selling noodle and rice bowls.

Now walking through the village, Shara and Devon went past some of the villagers who were going about their day. The female Keyblade Master looked up ahead and she saw carts being pulled by horses going in and out of the village. This what she had been hoping for. She went over to one of the carts that was getting ready to leave and asked the villager who drove it if he could take both her and her son up to Sky Peak Village. The villager was more than happy to bring them along for the ride. And so, Shara and Devon both got onto the back of the open cart which was full of vegetables and they were off.

They rode away from the small village and into the bamboo forest, following the path that would lead them up to the mountains. Eventually, they left the forest and continued moving up the mountain trail. The ride took them several feet up. And finally, after ascending the mountain for at least an hour and a half, Shara and Devon arrived at their destination: Sky Peak Village. The gate of the village was a tall double-door made of wood. The gate opened up and they entered the village.

( _Sky Peak Village_ )

Sky Peak Village was a large village built in a wide, open valley along the south side of Mount Colossus. The village was surrounded by a thick grey stone wall. Much like the village that Shara and Devon had visited earlier, this village also had shops and stalls selling food such as fish, vegetables, noodles and rice bowls. There was also some that were selling chinese-styled pottery like vases and pots. Even one stall was selling small wooden carved statues of chinese dragons and other animals.

Shara and Devon jumped off the cart and walked through the village. As they did, they looked at their surroundings.

Most of the inhabitants they saw here were humans, but there was also some saurians living amongst them. The saurians here were Velociraptors, T-rex, Triceratops, Parasauralophous, and Brontosaurus.

"So, mom, where are we going now?" Devon asks

"We're going up to the place where your father used to train: the Hon-Jaru Palace. Hopefully, Master Wei and his students are still there." Shara says

The female Keyblade Master and her son made their way through the village, heading up to the large building at the top. They both ascended the staircase which led up the valley and came upon a large, open gate. Through the gate was the arena which was within the palace grounds. The arena was a large stone square surrounded by blue roofed buildings where spectators watch. Parallel to the main gate was a viewing platform reserved specifically for the masters. The arena stood shortly infront of the temple itself and was situated between two sets of stairs, the top of the stairs leading from the village and the bottom of the stairs leading to the Hon-Jaru Palace.

The arena was currently empty, but special events and tournaments were sometimes held here by the palace masters. Moving along, Shara and Devon continued their way up the next staircase toward the Hon-Jaru Palace. Eventually, after ascending the staircase, both mother and son arrived at the palace.

The Hon-Jaru was a large, elaborately designed, sacred palace that stood at the top of the valley. The palace had a large gate with two wide, wooden double-doors as it's main entrance and three black colored shingle roofs. The pillars supporting the lower roof was red with gold dragons spiraling up them. The entrance to the palace was guarded by two stone chinese dragon statues who stood watch.

Shara and Devon entered the palace and made their way into the palace grounds. The palace grounds was a large, open area that housed small ponds, stone carins, and bonsai plants. There was also grey marble stone benches set around the grounds.

Up ahead they saw Grand Master Wulong Katashi working with his student, Hiro Jinan, as he went through a training session.

Wulong Katashi was a kind, elderly, wise man who teaches his students the art of martial arts.

He had short white hair, brown eyes, and a long white beard.

He wore a conical straw hat, a white, black lined haori, matching hakama pants, and gray geta sandals. He also has a bamboo staff which he used as both a walking stick and on occasions a weapon.

His student, Hiro Jinan, was a gentle, calm, kind-hearted, young man who happened to be one of Master Wulong's finest students. He was one who had typical qualities of a hero. He was brave, fearless, pure and strong-willed. Hiro trained hard every day of his life to do the world justice. Hiro was 20-years old.

He had black hair that spikes at the back of his head and also sports fringes at the front, brown eyes, and a muscular physique.

He wore a black sleeveless open karate gi with black pants. Around his waist, he wore a black belt. He also wore black fingerless gloves and black footpads.

His weapon of choice was a staff. This staff was made of strong bamboo wood and was painted black. Both ends of the staff were flat with gold metal tips.

Hiro was in a handstand position on a smooth stone using only his right-hand to hold himself up, his left-arm stretched out away from him, and his eyes closed. His master stood close by, watching him while holding his bamboo staff in his right-hand and his other hand behind his back. Their training session soon ended when the grand master sensed the presence of the female Keyblade Master and her son.

"Shara. You have returned." Wulong says

Wulong opened his eyes and looked upon Shara and Devon with a gentle smile. Hiro jumped off his rock, performing a somersault, landing right beside his mentor.

"It is good to see you again." Wulong says

"Master Wulong. It's good to see you too." Shara says

Hiro nodded his head in greeting.

"Well, I hope we didn't intrude on anything." Shara says

"Oh, it's quite alright. The Hon-Jaru is always welcome to you and your family. Why don't you come inside. We can talk more." Wulong says

"The others are inside too. I'm sure they'll be happy to see you both." Hiro says

Shara nodded her head in agreement and Master Wulong and Hiro led them into the Hon-Jaru Palace. The first room they visited was the Sacred Hall.

The room was wide and big. The floor of the room and the entire palace was constructed entirely of wood. Gold Buddhist statues stood on all sides of the room, each holding a single lantern in their hands to illuminate the area. At the end of the hall was a large gold Buddhist statue which had his arms spread out. In it's open hands were two crystal orbs, both of a different color and shape. The orb in the left-hand of the statue was a yellow sun-shaped orb while the other in the right-hand was a pale blue moon-shaped orb. Embedded in the statue's chest was a four-sided crystal star which obviously resembled the stars. There was also incense burners placed in the room near the Buddhist statues, giving off a pleasant, relaxing auroma.

Inside the room were two more of Wulong's students. Their names were Trisha Seong and Kenji Tanaka.

Trisha Seong was a bright, cheerful, young woman who was another student of Master Wei. She had a soft, caring heart and a strong loyalty to her friends. Trisha was 18-years old.

She had black traditional Chinese-styled hair tied in two ponytails, blue eyes, and a slim body shape.

She wore a blue sleeveles top with white feathers on the shoulder holes and a gold Chinese symbol on her chest, and white shorts with black lining. On her feet, she wore black Kung Fu slippers.

Her weapon of choice was a jian chinese sword. This sword had a thin blade, a fin-shaped cross guard, a black handle, and a chinese dragon head made into the handle as the pommel.

Kenji Tanaka was another student of Master Wei. He was an easy-going and friendly young man who was pure in spirit and trained alongside Hiro and Trisha. Kenji was 20-years old.

He had auburn shoulder-length hair which parted down the middle, brown eyes, and a well-built body.

He wore an unbuttoned white sleeveless shirt with blue stripes along the seams with matching pants. Around his waist, he wore a black belt that had some gold writing on it. He also wore blue fingerless gloves, arm protectors, and blue footpads.

His weapon of choice was a black wooden nunchaku. The handles of the nunchacku was connected to each other by thick steel chains. The nunchaku also had some gold inscriptions engraved on both handles on the upper, center, and lower area.

The two young warriors were training with their weapons through practice swings when they looked toward the door and saw Master Wulong enter with Hiro and their two guests. As soon as she saw the female Keyblade Master and her son, Trisha smiled and immediately went over to them.

"Shara! You're back!" Trisha exclaims happily

"Hi, Trisha." Shara greets

"Surprise seeing you here." Kenji says

"Hi, Kenji." Shara says

Trisha looked down at Devon and she gave him a gentle smile. She kneeled down and greeted the young boy.

"Hi, Devon." Trisha greets

"Hi." Devon greets waving his right-hand shyly

( _Moments later_ )

The grand master and his students along with their two guests moved into another room where they talked more. They all sat around a low wooden table ontop of cushions with their legs crossed. On the table was a white and pale blue chinese tea pot and six cups. Trisha took the tea pot and poured some tea into each of the cups. As they sat at the table, Shara told her friends her story as a Keyblade Wielder.

For the good parts, she told them about how she became a Keyblade Master, all the worlds she visited like The Dragon Realms and Radiant Garden. All the friends she made like Terra, Ventus, and Aqua. And all the wonderful experiences she had.

But then, she came down to the bad parts. Shara told them about the enemies she faced like Lord Thanatos, the evil Dark Keyblade Master. Not to mention Master Xehanort, Vanitas, and the Unversed. The terrible fate that befell her fellow Keyblade Wielders. She even told them what happened to her husband, Ducar.

Lastly, Shara told them about how Devon slipped into a coma thanks to Lord Thanatos and how she came back home to the Celestial Realm and what they had been doing since.

After hearing her story, Master Wulong and his students were left speechless. For most of it, they were amazed. But after hearing about Ducar's fate, they felt sadness in their hearts.

"You're journey must've been quite the adventure, Shara. I'm sure the deeds you've done brought a lot of happiness in the people you've met." Wulong says

"But it's sad to lose someone like Ducar." Trisha says

"Yeah. That really bites." Kenji says

"There were times when Ducar used to train with us. I remember." Hiro says

In that moment, Hiro remembered back to the time he last saw Ducar.

( _Flashback_ )

Only a few days before Devon and his family left, Ducar was training hand-to-hand combat with Hiro, Trisha, and Kenji in the Sacred Hall while Master Wulong watched from the sidelines.

Whenever he visited the Hon-Jaru Palace, Ducar wore black karate pants with a black and red belt. The pants also had red chinese dragons along the sides of the legs and gold flame designs on the lower left and right sides of the sleeves. His hands and feet were wrapped with white hand and foot wraps.

 _"Ducar always enjoyed training with us and we enjoyed having him around too. He trained just as hard as we did." Hiro says_

Trisha jumps into the air and flies toward Ducar with a flying punch, but he leans his body over to the right, dodging the punch. After missing him, Trisha tries to deliver a double kick, but Ducar dodges her by ducking down. Ducar counters with a backflip, sending Trisha staggering back. Trisha came back at Ducar with a flurry of fists, but he managed to block every blow that was thrown at him. Eventually, Ducar was able to catch Trisha's hand and jabs her in the stomach, making her lurch forward. He then grabs her and throws her over onto the ground.

Kenji leaps foward at Ducar with a flying kick. Reacting quickly, Ducar backflips out of the way, dodging Kenji's attack. He comes at Ducar with a series of quick punches, but Ducar dodged each blow. Kenji went for a high jump kick at Ducar's head, but Ducar ducked down, dodging the strike. After missing him, Kenji followed up with a chop strike, but Ducar caught his hand and countered with a palm strike to Kenji's chest. It was now his turn to strike. Ducar delivers an elbow blow to Kenji's stomach, then strikes with a backhand fist, knocking him back. He follows up with two jabs to Kenji's chest, then delivers a left-kick to his head, knocking him down to the ground.

With Trisha and Kenji down, Hiro was the only one left standing. Hiro closed in on Ducar and went for a punch at his head. Ducar stopped him by grabbing his fist and countered with a right-kick to his side. Hiro threw a couple fast blows, but Ducar blocked each one with his hands, matching his speed. He then tried to deliver a roundhouse kick at Ducar's head, but he ducked down and dodged the kick. Ducar performed a sweeping kick to try and sweep Hiro off his feet, but he jumped over the attack, making him miss. Hiro spun around and threw a karate chop at Ducar's chest. Ducar caught his hand, countered with a palm strike to his chest, and knocked him down with a reverse roundhouse kick to his head.

The sparring match was finished and Ducar emerged victorious. Hiro sat up and rubbed his head. Ducar walked over and offered Hiro his right-hand. Hiro smiled and took hold of his friend's hand.

"Damn. You're good, Ducar." Hiro says

"Yeah. Those were some nice moves." Trisha says

"You guys didn't do so bad yourselves. If anything, I'd say you all gave it your best." Ducar says

"You have come far with us, Ducar. But now, it is time you must embark on your own journey. It is time you walk the path as a Keyblade Wielder." Wulong says

"Right. Well, I better head back home. Best I start getting ready." Ducar says

"Bear in mind what you have learned here, Ducar. I'm certain they will serve you well on your journey." Wulong says

"I will, Master Wulong. Thanks. You've been a great teacher." Ducar says

Master Wulong smiled. Ducar turned around and looked at the three Shaolin warriors.

"And all of you have been good friends to train with." Ducar says

Hiro, Trisha, and Kenji all smiled. Ducar placed his right-hand on Master Wulong's shoulder and his other hand on Hiro's shoulder.

"I'll be sure to come back once I'm a Keyblade Master and train with you guys some more." Ducar says

"Looking forward to it." Hiro says

"Yeah." Ducar says with a smile

Ducar nodded at the grand master and his students and they nodded back.

 _"And that was the last time we ever saw Ducar." Hiro says_

( _Present time_ )

"I always looked up to Ducar for motivation. He was always what strived me to train harder. He was... a good friend." Hiro says

"Ducar was more than that. Having him train with us while he did. He became a part of us. He was like family." Trisha says

"He meant a lot to us. I don't know if there will ever be someone as great as him." Kenji says

"It feels good knowing how much my husband was loved." Shara says

Devon looked at his mother, then looked down at his cup of tea. He felt the same way about his father. He liked the fact that his family had so many good friends. And it was good to know that they would always be here looking out for them.

After they were done with their tea, Hiro, Trisha, and Kenji got up on their feet, ready for some more training.

"Hey, we're gonna go for some more training. You care to watch?" Hiro asks

"Yeah." Devon says feeling excited

"Alright. Then, let's go." Trisha says

With that said, the three Shaolin warriors went out of the room and into the hallway, heading out to the Sacred Hall with Master Wulong, Shara, and Devon following them.

( _Moments later_ )

The group was now in the Sacred Hall with Hiro, Trisha, and Kenji all ready to begin their next training session. The grand master, the female Keyblade Master, and her son stood on the sidelines watching them. Up first was Hiro and Trisha. Hiro took up his staff while Trisha brandished her sword. They both stood on opposite sides, waiting for the other to make the first move.

Within moments, the training session began with Hiro leaping forward at Trisha with his staff raised over his head. He brought his staff down on Trisha who quickly held up her sword, blocking the strike. Trisha shoved Hiro's staff away, and went for a roundhouse kick at Hiro's head. Hiro leaned his body back, making her miss. Trisha went on the offensive, attacking Hiro with a flurry of sword strikes. Hiro kept up his defense and was able to block each blow with his staff. He was able to block one blow and counter with a right-kick to Trisha's stomach, knocking her back. Trisha charged back at Hiro and attacked with a right-horizontal strike. Hiro leapt over Trisha with a somersault, dodging the attack. He landed behind her, whirled around, and delivered a quick downward strike to Trisha's back, which sent her flying forward. Trisha turned back around to face Hiro. But before she could do anything, Hiro quickly swept Trisha off her feet with a low sweeping kick, making her trip and fall down on her back. He then pointed his staff down at Trisha, thus ending their little match.

"Looks like I win." Hiro says with a grin

"Seems like you've gotten better, Hiro." Trisha says

Hiro gave Trisha his hand and he lifted her back on her feet.

"You did good, Trisha. You're starting to catch on." Hiro says

Trisha smiled and nodded her head.

"Alright. Looks like it's my turn." Kenji says

Kenji stepped forward with his nunchakus ready. Trisha went over to join Master Wulong, Shara, and Devon at the sidelines. Hiro spun his staff around, then got into battle stance with his feet spread apart and his staff pointed at Kenji. The two Shaolin warriors stood on their respective sides, waiting for one to make a move.

Kenji made the first move leaping forward at Hiro with a flying kick. Hiro quickly jumped back, evading the attack. Kenji pushed on the offensive with a double kick, but Hiro ducked his head down. He then followed up with a quick series of punches and jabs, swinging his nunchakus with fast speed. Hiro was able to match his speed, blocking the nunchakus with his staff and dodged every blow that was thrown at him. Kenji went for a right-punch, but Hiro leapt over him with a somersault and countered with a staff strike to Kenji's back. The blow sent Kenji stumbling forward. And that gave Hiro his chance to attack. He rushes straight at Kenji with his staff drawn back, ready to strike. Just as Kenji turned around to face him, Hiro struck him with his staff, hitting his stomach with a horizontal strike. He then delivered high kick to Kenji's head, leaving him dazed for a bit. Before Kenji could recover, Hiro swept him off his feet with his staff, making fall down on his back. Hiro spun his staff around, then pointed it down at Kenji, declaring the sparring match was over.

"Aw, I lost." Kenji groans

Just as he did for Trisha, Hiro gave Kenji his hand and he pulled him onto his feet.

"Don't let it bother you, Kenji. You were going pretty fast with those nunchucks of yours. It was almost hard for me to dodge them. I nearly broke a sweat." Hiro says

"Guess that means I'm improving, right?" Kenji says

"Oh yeah. Absolutely. You're catching on." Hiro says

Master Wulong, Trisha, Shara, and Devon walked over to the Shaolin Warriors having seen enough training for the day.

"I believe that is all the training we have for today. You all did splendid. Now, I think it is time that we all get a good night's rest." Wulong says

Hiro, Trisha, and Kenji all nodded their head in acknowledgement and responded to their master.

"Yes, master." The three Shaolin warriors say in unison

"Shara, we have one room that you and your son could share for the night until you depart tomorrow." Wulong says

"Thank you, Wulong." Shara says

( _Later that night_ )

The night was calm and cool and everybody was asleep. Except for Shara, who decided to stay up for a while longer. The female Keyblade Master watched as her beloved son slept peacefully in his dreams.

As she sat on the bed next to her son, Shara always wondered how Devon would be able to manage on his own when she would be gone. The thought of her son being all alone without anyone to look out for him scared her a bit, but she knew that he would have to live on without her. There will be a time when she would pass away and leave her son and Shara could only hope that Devon would be ready.

Leaving her son to sleep in peace, Shara left the room and went outside the Hon-Jaru Palace. Outside, the stars glittered the night sky and the sound of crickets filled the air with their blissful chirps. Shara walked down the stairs of the palace and walked through the grounds. As she did, she noticed a figure at a hill on her left. This hill was known as Serenity Hill.

Serenity Hill was a small hill that overlooked the valley and where a beautiful blossom tree stood. Master Wulong would often come here to meditate and to be one with the world around him.

And indeed Master Wulong was there sitting cross-legged on the ground next to the blossom tree. He was meditating by himself when he sensed Shara's presence behind him.

"The sounds of the night are quite peaceful, aren't they?" Wulong says

Shara was a bit surprised when Master Wulong knew she was behind him, but nevertheless she responded back, nodding her head in agreement.

"Yes. They are." Shara says

"I sense that you are concerned for the welfare of your son, Shara." Wulong says

Shara walked up to the grand master and sat down on the ground on his left.

"I'm doing all I can to prepare Devon for what lies ahead in his life. I know my son will grow into a strong Keyblade Wielder, but I don't want him to follow the same path my husband took. I just hope that he'll be able to take care of himself should something happen to me." Shara says

"Do not worry yourself, Shara. I have a feeling your son will do just fine. I can see the light in his heart. It shines brightly like a beacon of hope, guiding him on the right path. Trust in me, Shara. I have faith in your son just as I do for my pupils. As long as his light burns strong, Devon will do just fine." Wulong says

What Master Wulong said was true. Devon had a strong light in his heart and he had many friends supporting him. And even though she would someday leave him, she would always be with him in his heart. This knowledge helped Shara relax a little. The female Keyblade Master looked at the grand master and smiled while he looked back with a smile of his own. Shifting their gaze, they glanced up at the night sky, watching the stars as they filled the blackness of the night with their sparkling lights.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Okay. Here is Sky Peak Village, home of the mountain villagers and Shaolin warriors. This chapter introduces four more of my OCs: Master Wulong Katashi, Hiro Jinan, Trisha Seong, and Kenji Tanaka. For voice references, Hiro is voiced by Grant George, the english voice of Kilik from the _Soul Calibur series_. Trisha is voiced by Lauren Tom, the voice of Li Li from _World of Warcraft_. Kenji is voiced by Greg Dale, the english voice of Hwoarang from _Tekken 4_. And Grand Master Wulong is voiced by Paul Dobson, the voice of Sensei Wu from the Lego _Ninjago series_. I'll admit it is a bit hard to come up with some fight scenes, but it's a good thing I watch some Dragonball Z. Only one last place for Shara and Devon to visit and that is Luminous Jungle. Then, it's back to Starlight Town for the Battle Royale! With every chapter that comes along, we move closer to the conclusion of the storyline through Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	47. Luminous Jungle

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _Sky Peak Village_ )

The sun was high up in the sky, bringing with it a new day. The female Keyblade Master, Shara, and her beloved son, Devon, were now preparing themselves for their trip down the mountain to the jungle region in the south-west. Master Wulong, Hiro Jinan, Trisha Seong, and Kenji Tanaka stood with them at the gates of the Hon-Jaru Palace as they prepared to leave.

"I guess this means you have to go, huh?" Trisha asks

"Yes. We only have one last place to visit and that's Luminous Jungle. Then, it's back to Starlight Town for the Battle Royale." Shara says

"You know, Shara, I'll be in the tournament too. I hope you'll be prepared." Hiro says

"The future changes in many ways we cannot predict. We all must be ready for what the future holds. May you and your son travel safely, Shara." Wulong says

Shara nodded her head in acknowledgement.

"Thanks." Shara says

"Take care you two." Kenji says

"See you soon." Trisha says

Shara and Devon waved farewell to their friends and took their leave walking down the steps of the palace while Master Wulong and his students watched them go. They passed through the village and went down the mountain trail. Wooden sign posts on the trail pointed the female Keyblade Master and her son on the right path. The trip down the mountain took at least an hour and a half.

Eventually, after descending down the mountain, Shara and Devon came into the jungle region. The jungle was dense, wet, and humid. The palm trees stood tall, towering over the two. The light from the sun beamed down through the jungle canopy of the trees. Fortunately for Shara and Devon, the trees kept them cool from the tropical climate. The plants in the jungle were very much like those that were in the Gardens District back in Starlight Town. Plants like the Warbonnet, Dapophet, and the Binary Sunshine. But there were other plants like the Bladder Polyp, Cycad, and Dakteron.

Bladder Polyps were small, round blue plants that grew in clusters on the jungle floor, storing water and salt in their leaves. They were used as a source of nutrition and are eaten for their juicy and salty taste.

Cycads were ancient seed plants that grow seeds on their leaves which could be used for food. They had a stout woody trunk with a crown of large leaves.

Dakterons were pitcher-shaped plants that ate insects. They had a large leaf modified into a hanging pitcher with stiff downward-pointing hairs to prevent any insect caught inside from exiting the top. Other leaves on the plant were more typical with an expanded blade and were mostly blue in color. The flower of the dakteron was an elaborate structure with two large bulbous appendages arising from the base. The pores on the appendages made them look like sea coral. And the plant's bright blue stucture emits a lovely fragrance that attracts insects. Lured by the scent, insects land on the leaf pitcher and crawl inside to search for food. Once the insect is deep inside, it is ultimately trapped and digested. The remarkable effectiveness of the dakterons trapping insects was made into good use in the Celestial Realm as it was ideal for dealing with biting insects.

Devon and his family actually had some of these Dakterons planted back at their home in Starlight Town. They used to have pesky mosquitoes flying around their neighborhood, biting them nonstop. To help deal with the pests, they planted pieces of Dakteron stems around their house which grew leaf pitchers. Since then, they've had no mosquitoes or biting insects for a long time.

The female Keyblade Master and her son saw much of these plants as they continued their trek through the jungle. But little did they know they were being watched. High up in the trees was a woman armed with her bow and arrows. This woman was known as Solana.

Solana was the princess of the Tsuwaticaya clan. She was brave, loyal and strong-willed. She was devoted to her people and was always willing to put herself in a dangerous situation for the sake of her clan.

She had dark skin, teal blue eyes, and long, braided hair.

She wore a necklace consisting of blue, green, and purple beads, leafy arm and leg bands made from woven blue warbonnet plants, and a dark blue leafy loincloth around her waist.

She was a formidable warrior as she was very skilled with a bow, but she was also skilled in close-range combat with her knife.

Her weapons of choice was her father's ceremonial bow. The bow's wood was crafted from the willow tree and the string was made from animal guts. A blue leaf-like structure sprouted from the handle of the bow, presumably made from leaves. All the materials were held together by tightly woven straps and strings. The arrows were held by a cylinder-like structure in front of the handle of the bow.

The two soon came upon a cluster of Heliocordians on their left. Devon was curious and he stopped to have a look.

Heliocordians were zooplantae which were part animal and part plant. They had a single, spiral leaf which responds to touch by coiling up and retracting to the ground.

Shara kept a watchful eye on her son as he approached the plant. Devon stretched his right-hand to touch the plant. As soon as his hand made contact, the heliocordian coiled up and retracted into the ground. The young boy jumped a bit in surprise, but smiled as he was starting to have fun. He touched another heliocordian with his hand and it too coiled and retracted into the ground. Pretty soon, Devon was touching every heliocordian he saw. Shara decided to let her son have his fun for a little bit and watched as he touched the plants.

A few minutes later, all of the heliocordians were coiled up and Shara felt that it was time to be moving on.

"C'mon, Devon. We have to keep moving." Shara says

"Okay, mom." Devon says

Just as they were about to move on, something floated down from above, making them look up. It was a Woodsprite.

Woodsprites were small, white glowing seeds that appeared to be small deep-sea jellyfish, but they float on the wind like dandelion seeds. And not only that, they seemed to have a will of their own. One of a pure, benevolent nature.

The small seed floated down toward Shara and Devon, but more specifically towards Devon. The young boy held both his hands out as the woodsprite came down. Both mother and child looked upon the seed in amazement, admiring it's glow. Solana saw the whole thing and was amazed herself. For her and her clan, woodsprites were seen as benevolent spirits. And for a woodsprite to appear before Shara and Devon like this, it was a sign that the young child was special. That he was meant to do great things.

Eventually, the woodsprite floated back up into the air and into the jungle as if it was telling Shara and Devon to follow it. The female Keyblade Master and her son continued through the jungle with Solana keeping a close, watchful eye on them.

( _Later that day_ )

Shara and Devon walked through the jungle for at least two hours, but they made sure to stop to rest and take a break every now and then. Along the way, they saw more kinds of plants like Dandetigers, Octoshrooms, and Pitchers.

Dandetigers were trees that resembled sparklers. It had no branches and it's leaves were clustered at the crown of the tree. Their blue leaves were long, slender, tubular, and their flexible structure allowed them to sway even in the slightest breeze.

Octoshrooms were large mushroom-like plants that live in the jungle. At night, they emit a blue-purplish glow.

Pitchers were plants that usually grow underground. But when they are fully matured, they emerge into purple heart-shaped plants. And if there is enough room, they produce a single flowering stalk which was rarely seen. In rainy weather, these plants collect rainwater in a single large leaf. Then, the water can be used as drinking water by pouring it like a pitcher.

Shara and Devon had been wandering around the jungle for quite a while and they were hardly getting anywhere.

"Mom, are you sure we're going the right way?" Devon asks

"I know the village is somewhere in this jungle. Don't worry, sweetheart. We'll find it." Shara says

Suddenly, they heard some rustling in the trees above them which made Shara and Devon stop dead in their tracks.

"What was that?" Devon asks

"I don't know. Stay close to me, Devon." Shara says

Shara pulled her son close to her as they braced themselves for whatever was coming their way. The rustling got louder and louder until something dropped down behind the two. It was Solana who landed crouched down on the ground.  
The female Keyblade Master and her son both relaxed when they saw Solana.

"Oh, Solana. It's nice to see you." Shara says

The jungle princess stood up straight and smiled.

"Shara." Solana says smiling

The two women approached each other and they embraced in a hug.

"It is good to see you have returned. Much time has passed since you left." Solana says

Solana looked down at Devon and kneeled down to him. She placed her right-hand on the side of his face and smiled.

"Hello, young one." Solana greets

"Hi." Devon greets with a smile

Solana stood straight up and looked at Shara.

"Why are you here?" Solana asks

"It's a bit of a long story. I'll explain later. Can you lead us back to your village?" Shara says

The jungle princess nodded her head in acknowledgement and she went on ahead, leading the female Keyblade Master and her son through the jungle. Solana led Shara and Devon across large log bridges and over small ponds. They traversed through the jungle for a couple of minutes until Solana stopped.

"What is it?" Shara asks

The trio looked at what was happening and were left standing in awe. What they saw were Woodsprites floating down towards them.

"The sacred seeds of the spirit tree." Solana gasps in a whispering voice

The small seeds floated down to the trio, specifically towards Devon. One Woodsprite perched itself down onto Devon's right-shoulder. Then, another one landed on his other shoulder. And another ontop of his hands. Soon enough, Devon had Woodsprites all over his body from his hands, to his shoulders, and even on his head. They stayed like this for a few seconds before they floated away with the wind. This definitely confirmed that Devon was a special child. One who would someday be capable of great deeds.

"Come." Solana says

Shara and Devon continued to follow Solana as they moved further into the jungle. And finally, after treking the jungle for hours, they made it to Luminous Village, home of the Tsuwaticaya Clan.

( _Luminous Village_ )

The village was built up on an ancient tree that were over hundreds of feet high from the jungle below. The circumference of the tree was great enough to house dozens of clan members. The gigantic tree had a hollow base with mangrove-like roots. Within this base were many columns, creating a large central area. And in this area, the branches and limbs of the tree formed a natural spiral staircase, which were used to move up and down the tree. The tree was also honeycombed with natural hollows and alcoves in which the people sleep, eat, weave, dance and celebrate their connection to the Great Father, who was also more commonly known as The Inheritor.

All the people here were dark-skinned and they lived in harmony and natural equilibrium with their surroundings. They also had a healthy respect and reverence for their enviornment. As such, they wore little clothing in order to work and live, taking minimally from the environment. This village was home to hunters and warriors.

Shara, Devon, and Solana made their approach toward the enormous tree that towered over them. Devon looked around and saw some villagers riding creatures known as Direhorses.

Direhorses were horse-like creatures that had very long necks, small heads, six legs, and small tails similar to that of a rhino's tail. They also had a light blue-green mane flowing down the back of their necks. They had leathery skin that was prominently blue with some hints of purple mixed in. Members of the Tsuwaticaya clan used these Direhorse as mounts for transportation, but they were also used for hunts.

Moving on, the trio made their way to the base of the tree and began climbing upwards using the limbs of the tree as stairs. They soon entered a large hollow area in the tree where they saw dozens of clan members. There was even creatures known as Viperwolves standing alongside the clan members.

Viperwolves were wolf-like creatures that moved in packs. They had six legs, each paw having three toes and an opposable thumb, a lean, powerful torso, low-slung heads with distensible snake-like jaws full of obsidian teeth and a paddle-like tail for stability. Their skin was mostly black, but was branded with iridescent blue. They also have a sense of communication emitting coyote-like barks, hyena cackles, and snake-like hissing. The members of the Tsuwaticaya clan were able to tame these beasts enough to be trained as pets.

All the clan members watched as Solana led Shara and Devon through. The trio passed through the crowd and approached three individuals. They were Orutikan, Ka'eyla, and Keili'tey.

Orutikan was the patriarch of the Tsuwaticaya clan and Solana's father. He was a good leader who cared greatly for the welfare of his clan as well as the rest of the Celestial Realm.

He had dark skin, brown eyes, and long, black hair.

He wore a blue leaf-woven headband, a leafy vest made from warbonnet plants, leather bracelets, a beaded necklace consisting of blue, green, purple, orange, and red beads, and a long, dark blue loincloth.

Ka'eyla was a spiritual leader of the Tsuwaticaya clan and Solana's mother.

She had dark skin, amber eyes, and long, black, braided hair.

She wore a string-like robe which covered most of her body, save for her arms and legs. Her robe was black with blue trim. She also wore a beaded necklace consisting of black, blue, green, and teal beads, and bony wristbands.

Keili'tey was one of the clan's finest warriors and he was Solana's soulmate. He was loyal and protective to his home, but he also shared concern for others.

He had dark skin, brown eyes, long, black, braided hair, and a well-built physique.

He wore armbands and legbands which had teeth woven into them. He also wore a necklace which held a collection of teeth.

His weapon of choice was his bow and arrow since he was a master at archery.

The trio stopped infront of the three individuals and Solana nodded her head to her mother and father in greeting.

"Mother. Father. I have found Shara and Devon." Solana says

Orutikan nodded his head in acknowledgement and he approached the female Keyblade Master and her son, spreading his arms out.

"Shara. We haven't seen you come into the jungle for a long time. The sun shines more bright when you are here." Orutikan says

"It's great to see you all." Shara says

Orutikan looked down at Devon and smiled. He kneeled down to him and placed his right-hand on the young boy's shoulder.

"Greetings to you, young one." Orutikan says

"Hi." Devon greets

"There was a sign from the All-Father. Shara's son has been chosen to wield the Keyblade. He is destined to become the Legendary Keyblade Master." Solana says

Ka'eyla nodded in understanding.

"A great destiny has been set before your son, Shara. You should be proud." Ka'eyla says

"I am." Shara says

The female Keyblade Master looks down at her son who looked back up at her with a cheerful smile on his face.

"And I'll make sure he grows into a fine Keyblade Wielder." Shara says

"But why did you come to our home?" Ka'eyla asks

"We came to visit. Only for a day. Just to make up for the time we've been away." Shara says

Orutikan and Ka'eyla nodded their heads and they looked over at their daughter and her soulmate.

"My daughter and Keili'tey will look after you." Ka'eyla says

"It will be an honor to have the wife and son of Ducar in our care." Keili'tey says

"We'd be more than happy to have you stay with us." Solana says

"First, you must tell us what has happened since you left the Celestial Realm. We are all eager to hear what you have experienced as a Keyblade Wielder." Orutikan says

Shara nodded her head in understanding.

( _Moments later_ )

It was now mid-day and everyone sat together in a circle inside another hollow in the tree, ready for Shara to begin her story. The light from the sun shined through open gaps in the hollow, offering some light. Once everybody was comfortable, Shara began telling her story.

First, she started with how she and her family met Master Eraqus, Terra, Aqua, and later on Ventus. She then explained how she passed the Mark of Mastery Exam with Aqua and that they both became Keyblade Masters. But she was still disappointed at the fact that Terra and Ducar did not pass due to the darkness that dwelled in their hearts.

Moving on, she spoke of how her journey began with Lord Thanatos, Vanitas, and the Unversed causing havoc in the universe and how she, Ducar, Terra, and Aqua all set out to stop them. She also mentioned Master Xehanort's disappearance and how he was working alongside Lord Thanatos and the Dark Lord of the Shadows.

Continuing her story, Shara spoke about all the worlds she visited. All the people she met like Spyro and Cynder from The Dragon Realms. Sora and Riku from Destiny Islands. And Kairi from Radiant Garden.

Then, the female Keyblade Master spoke about all the struggles that she and her friends had faced like the Unversed invading Radiant Garden. Her intense battles with the evil Dark Keyblade Master, Lord Thanatos. And most of all, their epic climatic battle in the Keyblade Graveyard with Lord Thanatos, Master Xehanort, and Vanitas.

She even mentioned what happened to her friends, Terra, Ventus, and Aqua. How Master Xehanort took control of Terra's body with his evil heart. How Ventus fell into a comatose state due to his fight with Vanitas. And how Aqua got trapped in the Realm of Darkness. But what hurt her most was losing her husband, Ducar to the Forces of Darkness and how he was made into Lord Drazor, the Dark Knight.

Finally, Shara explained how they had returned to the Celestial Realm, how Devon was put into a coma, and how she spent all her time taking care of him until he woke up a month later. Of course, she told the clan members she had help from Infernius, Krysia, Ty, Danny, Riley, Nicole, and Katie. And to finish up her story, Shara told the clan members about their trip around the whole island leading up to where they were now.

All of the clan members were left speechless and they felt a mixture of emotions flowing through them. They were mostly fascinated by the story of Shara's journey as a Keyblade Master. But they were also very sad about what happened to Ducar. He was very respectable man to the clan. Even Orutikan, Ka'eyla, Solana, and Keili'tey respected him. And yet some of the clan members like Keili'tey felt angry that such an evil being like Lord Thanatos would do so much harm to other people and were willing to make him pay for his dark deeds.

"We have heard many tales. But your story, Shara has touched our hearts." Orutikan says

"The loss of Ducar must've been hard for both you and your child. You have our deepest condolances, Shara." Ka'eyla says

"Thank you, Ka'eyla." Shara says

"Lord Thanatos. Cursed wretched demon. I will make him pay for what he has done to Ducar!" Keili'tey growls

"I understand how you feel, Keili'tey. Trust me. Infernius felt the same way. Revenge won't honor Ducar. He wouldn't want you to feel that way." Shara says

The hunter sighed knowing that Shara was right. Revenge was the way to peace. Putting aside his anger, Keili'tey calmed down and nodded his head in understanding.

"Ducar was a good friend to our clan. To hear that he is gone is truly heart-breaking." Orutikan says

"Each of us remember the times he came into the jungle to visit us." Solana says

( _Flashback_ )

The clan members specifically Orutikan, Ka'eyla, Solana, and Keili'tey remember what it was like having Ducar amongst them. They were more than happy to have such a great man who had done so much good to their world be with them. When Ducar visited the clan, he wore just his khaki cargo shorts and his black boots leaving his upper body exposed.

 _"Ducar always enjoyed being a part of our clan."_ Orutikan says

Solana remembered when Ducar joined her in her hunts in the jungle. When she went out to hunt, he went along with her. Both of them were armed with their bows and quivers of arrows. They trekked through the jungle on foot, following the tracks of a gazelle. They soon found it grazing on some grass, completely unaware of their presence. Staying low, Ducar took aim at the animal and brought it down with just one arrow. Ducar and Solana moved up to the animal and kneeled down to it. The gazelle wasn't dead, but it cried out in pain as the arrow pierced it's right-side. Ducar took out a dagger from it's sheathe on his belt on his right-side and placed his other hand on the gazelle. He closed his eyes, muttered some words in a whispering voice, then stabbed the animal in the chest, silencing it forever. Ducar cleaned off his dagger and placed it back in it's sheathe. He then pulled out the arrow from the now dead gazelle. It was proven a clean kill which left Solana impressed.

 _"He joined me when I went out to hunt."_ Solana says

Keili'tey remembered when Ducar sparred against him and his fellow warriors in the home tree. He fought Ducar for several minutes until Ducar managed to bring him down with a fierce kick to his chest. After he was beaten, Keili'tey was down on one knee, growling in frustration. But when he looked up, he saw Ducar standing infront of him with a serious look on his face. The two men stared at each other for a while. Eventually, a smile formed on Ducar's face and he offered his right-hand to Keili'tey. The warrior smiled back, took Ducar's hand, and was pulled onto his feet. Ducar placed his hand on Keili'tey's shoulder and nodded his head. The warrior continued to smile and nodded back at Ducar.

 _"He proved himself worthy in combat against me and my fellow warriors."_ Keili'tey says

Ka'eyla remembered when Ducar helped care for the youngest of the clan namely children. Ducar walked over to a group of children and kneeled down to them. The children were all very happy to see Ducar and they all ran up to them. Ka'eyla watched as the children gathered around Ducar with a smile on her face.

 _"He even watched over our children as if he was one of our own."_ Ka'eyla says

( _Present time_ )

"Ducar always did manage to find a way into people's hearts." Shara says

"Yes. He earned a special place in our hearts as you have. Our home is your home. And our family is your family. You are welcome to stay for as long as you wish." Orutikan says

Shara nodded her head in acknowledgement with a smile on her face.

"Come. I will show you around." Solana says

( _Moments later_ )

Solana took Shara and Devon on a tour of the hometree. Their first stop was the village itself.

The village was built within the central hollow of the tree. Dozens of wooden huts made up the village. All of them were homes for the people. The entrances to the huts had beaded curtains and covering the huts were large leaves strewn together. Most of the huts were small, but only one stood out above the rest. At the back of the village was a large hut that stood out like a sore thumb. While most of the huts in the village had one or two windows, this hut had four. This hut was primarily used as a meeting place for the Tsuwaticaya clan as well as the outer settlements.

As they walked through the village, the trio saw some of the clan members going about their business whether it was going out to patrol the jungle or to hunt. They even saw a group of young children playing together, kicking a make-shift ball to each other.

Moving on, they went up to a tree top platform which was several levels up. It took a while to ascend the tree, but eventually they reach the top. There, they saw dozens of Jungle Banshees all around them, flying around and shrieking cries to each other.

Jungle Banshee or Ikrans as they were called by the locals were large, aerial dragon-like creatures used for hunting from the air and traveling long distances. They had leathery skin that varies from indigo, blue, teal, green, and purple, bat-like wings, long tails, and triangular-shaped heads. Their arms end with four fingers and a thumb forming a claw like a bat. Each large fore-wing had three primary vanes at the tips like the wings of a dragonfly. They also had smaller hind wings to help with their flight. When on land, they use the claw or finger on their wings to walk by dragging their bodies forward. They also had a sense of communication emitting a piercing cry. The people of the Tsuwaticaya clan were able to tame these beasts and train them to be mounts.

"This is where all our Ikrans are kept. Here is mine." Solana says

Solana walked over to a teal-colored female banshee named Kirina who was more than happy to see her rider. The jungle princess placed her hands on the banshee's head and rubbed them gently, making the banshee purr with content.

"Kirina, we will fly again soon. I promise." Solana says

Solana turned her head back toward Shara and Devon.

"Kirina waits patiently for when we fly out into the jungle. She enjoys flying." Solana says

"I'm sure Ducar did too." Shara says

"Yes. He did." Solana says

The trio heard a screeching cry coming from another direction and they looked over to the right at another banshee as it sat on it's haunches. This one was a male and it had light-blue colored skin.

"Toruk. Ducar used to ride him when he came to visit us. He's been very lonely since he left." Solana says

Devon looked at the banshee and felt bad that it was sitting all by itself. The young boy walked over to the banshee while his mother and the jungle princess watched. Toruk turned his head to the right and saw Devon approaching him. The banshee remained calm and allowed the child to approach. Soon, both Devon and the banshee were only a few feet apart. Devon gave the banshee a kind smile, showing he was friendly. Toruk lowered his head to the young child and sniffed him. He then nuzzled his big head against Devon's small chest, purring contently. Shara and Solana both smiled and they felt touched at the scene.

"Toruk has taken a liking to your son. He must sense Ducar's spirit within Devon's heart." Solana says

Shara nodded in agreement as she watched her son pet the banshee.

( _Later that night_ )

Night has finally fallen and the Luminous Jungle was illuminated by the beautiful colorful glowing lights of the plants of the jungle.

For the next part of the tour, Solana took the female Keyblade Master and her son to see the Tree of Voices which was a couple miles due west from the hometree. The trio traveled through the jungle on Direhorses. Solana rode on her direhorse while Shara and Devon both rode the same direhorse. The ride took at least an hour and a half until they had to stop and continue on foot. They soon came into a glade of willow trees. All of the trees gave off a pink glow of light. Except for one which was bigger than the others. It was none other than the Tree of Voices.

The Tree of Voices was a large willow-like tree that emitted a purple glow. It also had a special power. It was said that by touching the long tendrils of the trees allows one to hear the voices of his or her ancestors.

"Here is the Tree of Voices. Our ancestors speak through the branches of the tree." Solana says

The jungle princess took hold of one of the tree's tendrils and closed her eyes. Upon contact, the tendril emitted a faint light for brief moment, reacting to Solana's touch. In that moment, Solana could hear the whispering voices of her ancestors. She heard men's voices and the sound of children laughing.

"They share with us their feelings, their thoughts, and their wisdom." Solana says

Shara took hold of one of the tree's tendrils with her right-hand and almost immediately she heard many voices flowing through her mind.

"I can hear them." Shara says

Devon grabbed one of the tendrils and he too heard voices in his mind.

"I hear them too." Devon says

The trio continued to listen to the voices in fascination for a while until they soon left.

For the final part of their tour, Solana took Shara and Devon to see the Tree of Souls which was located in the very heart of the jungle within the Sacred Grove which was a couple miles south of the hometree. The ride took the same hour and just like before they had to proceed on foot. Moving on the path toward the Sacred Grove, the trio passed many willow-like trees that each glowed a rainbow of different colors, making the walk all the more enjoyable.

Eventually, they arrived at the Sacred Grove and Shara and Devon were amazed at the sight of it. The Sacred Grove was truly a beautiful place as it was bathed in the light of all the plants in the area. Woodsprites and colorful wisps of light floated about aimlessly inside the grove. And right there in the center was the majestic tree itself.

The Tree of Souls was a giant willow-like tree that emitted a faint glow of pale blue light. The tree was considered a point of spiritual significance to the Tsuwaticaya clan as it was their closest connection to their ancestors and even the Inheritor himself. The trunk of the tree was gnarly like bonsai. The tendrils of the tree were long. The roots of the tree were spread around in all directions. And the ground which the tree stood on was covered by a large bed of touch-sensitive moss, which reacted to footsteps by emitting blue rings of light.

"And here is the Tree of Souls, our most sacred spot. This is where prayers can be heard. And sometimes answered." Solana says

Shara and Devon both looked up at the tree in amazement. It was a beautiful sight to behold. The Woodsprites and colorful wisps of light floated closely around the tree, attracted to it's glowing light. But then, they slowly descended down toward Devon. The young boy held out his right-hand and one Woodsprite floated in his open palm. The Woodsprites slowly swirled around Devon's body, amazing both his mother and the jungle princess. Eventually, the Woodsprites floated back up to the Tree of Souls.

"The spirits tell us that a young child would be destined to shape the future for all living beings. That child is your son, Shara. It is why the Woodsprites appear before him. They are attracted to the light that shines within people's hearts. And Devon's heart shines the brightest." Solana says

"I know." Shara says

Shara places her right-hand on Devon's shoulder, drawing his attention. The young boy looked up at his mother with a happy smile on his face while she looked down at him with a smile of her own.

"And I know he'll do us all proud when he's a Keyblade Master." Shara says

Solana smiled at how much Shara loved her son. Feeling that they have spent enough time in the jungle, Solana felt that it was time to head back.

"Come. We must return to the village. The jungle can be dangerous at night." Solana says

"Right." Shara says

Solana and Shara began making their way out of the Sacred Grove. Devon followed them, but he soon stopped and took one last look at the Tree of Souls. The young boy made sure to take in every detail he saw. The tree's tall size. It's beautiful glow. And the Woodsprites and wisps of light that surrounded it. As he looked upon the tree, Devon heard a gentle voice in his mind. It was the same voice he heard while he was in his comatose state.

 ** _"May the light shine brightly in your heart. Always..."_**

Devon blinked his eyes and shook his head after hearing the voice.

"That voice. I've heard it somewhere before." Devon says

As he snapped back into reality, Devon heard his mother calling out to him.

"C'mon, Devon." Shara calls

"Coming, mom!" Devon says

With that said, the young boy ran to catch up with his mother and the jungle princess.

( _Later that night_ )

Shara and Devon were now back in Luminous Village, preparing themselves for a good night's rest. They were given a hut in the village to stay for the night. Inside were two hammocks and a small round wooden table. The hammocks were made out of rope, twine, and strong woven mats made from Beanstalk Palm plants and were fastened to a wooden pole on both the front and back. Devon sat on his hammock with his mother right alongside him.

"So Devon, did you have fun on our trip?" Shara asks

"I sure did, mom. It was awesome." Devon says

"Glad to hear it. But now, we have to head back home tomorrow and get ready for the Battle Royale." Shara says

Shara got up and went over to sit on her hammock across from her son.

"I can't wait to see you fight, mom. I know you'll do great." Devon says

"Let's get some sleep. We leave first thing in the morning." Shara says

"Okay. Good-night, mom." Devon says

With that said, Devon closed his eyes and went to sleep.

"Good-night, sweetheart." Shara says in a soft voice

As her son slept peacefully, Shara stayed awake for a little bit longer to ponder her thoughts. She rolled over on her back and stared up at the ceiling, thinking of whatever life had in store for her and her son. So much had happened in her journey as a Keyblade Master. All the worlds she visited. All the people she met. All the friends she made. And all the hardships that she had faced. Deep down, Shara knew that there would be many more challenges on the road ahead and knew that both she and her son would have to be ready.

Not only that, Lord Thanatos was still out somewhere in the universe, possibly scouring the worlds in his search to destroy them. Shara did not know if Lord Thanatos would be able to find them here in their homeworld. If he does, she will do whatever it takes to ensure her son survives to fulfill his destiny, even if it meant giving up her own life.

Then, she thought about her three missing friends: Terra, Ventus, and Aqua. Ventus was reduced to an empty vessel in which his heart was lost somewhere in the universe, wandering helplessly. Terra was now possessed by Master Xehanort. And Aqua was still trapped in the Realm of Darkness. Three of her friends were lost to the darkness, but Shara hoped and prayed that there will be a way to help them.

Lastly, her thoughts dwelled on her husband, Ducar, who was now made a slave to the Dark Lord's evil empire. Shara felt awful for letting her husband fall deep into the darkness, but she felt that somehow, someway, she'll find a way to bring him back into the light.

"Good-night, Ducar." Shara says

Having said that, the female Keyblade slowly closed her eyes and drifted off into sleep.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** It's time to enter the Luminous Jungle, home of the Tsuwaticaya clan. Here, the female Keyblade Master, Shara, and her son, Devon meet the natives of the jungle and explore the wilderness, visiting sacred spiritual sites and discovering it's wonders. For voice references, Solana is voiced by Zoe Salda a, who portrayed as Neytiri from James Cameron's: Avatar. Orutikan is voiced by Wes Studi, who portrayed as Eytukan also from Avatar. Ka'eyla is voiced by C. C. H. Pounder, who portrayed as Mo'at also from Avatar. And Keili'tey is voiced by Laz Alonso, who portrayed as Tsu'tey once more from Avatar. Well, Shara and Devon have completed their trip around the Celestial Realm. Now, it's time to head on back to Starlight Town for the Battle Royale. I know that this might be a little late, but I'll say this: Happy New Year, everyone! A new year in 2017 has begun, so let's make it a good one! Hopefully Kingdom Hearts 3 will be released sometime soon, but only time will tell. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	48. Returning Home

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _Luminous Jungle_ )

It was a beautiful morning in the Celestial Realm. The sun shone it's light through the jungle canopy and the sounds of the jungle filled the air. Shara and Devon were now prepared to return back home to Starlight Town. They stood at the base of hometree with the all the members of the Tsuwaticaya clan who were ready to see them off.

"So, I take it you are returning home?" Orutikan asks

"Yes. We've journey far and wide across the island over the past couple days, but now it's time for me and my son to return home. We need to prepare for Ducar's memorial and the Battle Royale." Shara says

"If there is to be a memorial for Ducar's honor, then we shall gladly attend. And we will also be there for the Battle Royale to test the strength of our warriors." Orutikan says

"Our prayers for you and your son will go with you." Ka'eyla says

"To return back to your home to Starlight Town, just follow the path due east. I will send Keili'tey and my daughter to see that you make it back home safely while the clan prepares for the journey tomorrow." Orutikan says

"Thank you. We appreciate it." Shara says

Orutikan smiled and kindly nodded his head to the female Keyblade Master.

"Come." Solana says

Solana and Keili'tey went on to get some Direhorses for the travel with Shara and Devon following close behind.

( _Moments later_ )

Shara and Devon rode through the jungle with Solana and Keili'tey as they journeyed back home. Along the way, Devon looked up and saw a flock of colorful birds fly overhead. The young boy smiled at the sight of the birds and watched as they flew around above them, chirping and squawking happily. The ride took at least an hour and a half before they made it out of the jungle. They strode out of the treeline and came up on a high cliff. Down below ahead of them was Starlight Town. They had a magnificent view of the town. They could see Starlight Castle as it stood high above the town and all the houses that lined up along the serene beaches. The warm light of the sun beamed down on the peaceful town, making it look even more beautiful.

"There it is. Starlight Town. We're back home." Shara says

"It looks pretty up here." Devon says

"You're right, sweetheart. It does." Shara says

The female Keyblade Master dismounted her direhorse and helped her son down. Then, both mother and son looked up at the jungle princess and her soulmate.

"Thank you both for escorting us home. I'm sure we can walk back from here. All we need to do is head down the slope and we're home." Shara says

"We were happy to have you spend time with us in our home, Shara." Solana says

"Yeah. It was fun. But don't worry. We'll be sure to make occasional visits." Shara says

"We'll be looking forward to it. But until then, farewell." Solana says

"Or as we say in our native tongue: _K yevame_." Keili'tey says

Shara nodded her head in understanding. After saying farewell, Shara and Devon turned around and began walking down the slope of the cliff. Solana and Keili'tey watched them head down for a few moments, then began riding toward the jungle. Keili'tey ventured forth into the jungle, but Solana stopped for a brief moment and looked down toward Shara and Devon as they got further away. She then said a small prayer for them in her native tongue.

" _Inheritor, hu atan ngahu._ ( _Good-bye, may the light of the Inheritor be with you._ )" Solana says in her native tongue

Having said that, Solana rode off into the jungle on her direhorse and disappeared within the trees.

( _Starlight Town_ )

Shara and Devon walked down along the beach after having scaled down the cliff. Devon stopped for a moment and turned to look back at the cliff. He saw that Solana and Keili'tey were gone. Looking back ahead, he saw that his mother was already further down the beach and went on to catch up with her. As they moved down the beach, the female Keyblade Master saw Riley, Danny, Nicole and Katie relaxing on the beach over a wide navy blue beach towel underneath a blue umbrella.

Riley wore grey swimshorts that had blue water waves and light green palm tree designs along the ends of the leggings.

Danny wore navy blue swimshorts with silver vertical stripes along the sides.

Nicole wore a simple light blue bikini.

And Katie wore a simple white bikini.

Riley and Katie laid down next to each other, enjoying the view of the ocean while Danny was giving Nicole a nice massage, rubbing his hands up and down her smooth body. Katie turned her head to the right and saw Shara and Devon up the beach.

"Hey! You're back!" Katie exclaims happily

Riley, Danny, and Nicole looked over in Katie's direction and they too saw Shara and Devon. Katie quickly got up and went over to meet the female Keyblade Master and her son.

"Hi, Katie." Shara greets

The two humans and female dinosaur got up and walked over to Shara and Devon.

"Hi, guys." Shara greets

"You always tend to travel, huh?" Nicole asks teasingly placing her hands on her hips

"Yeah. You could say that. What are you guys doing?" Shara says

"Oh, nothing. Just out catching some sun, enjoying the ocean breeze. You know." Nicole says

While the group was talking on the beach, three dragons walked through the seaside neighborhood, going down along the paved road. It was Infernius, Krysia, and Ty. They went out for a morning stroll when they saw Shara and Devon on the beach, talking to Riley, Danny, Katie, and Nicole.

"Well, looks like Shara and Devon are back from their trip." Krysia says

"As if one trip wasn't enough for them, huh?" Infernius says

Ty wagged his tail happily upon hearing that since he was eager to see Devon. The three dragons headed down toward the beach and met up with the rest of their friends who saw them approach.

"Hi, Shara. Hi, Devon." Krysia greets

"Hey." Shara greets

Ty ran over to Devon and greeted him.

"Hi, Devon." Ty greets

"Hi, Ty." Devon says

The young boy rubbed his right-hand over the young dragon's head while he nuzzled himself gently against Devon's body.

"How was your trip?" Katie asks

"Yeah. How did it go?" Riley asks

"It's a bit of a long story." Shara says

"Well, why don't we all sit down and enjoy the beach while we listen about your trip?" Danny asks

"Sure." Shara says

( _Moments later_ )

Over the next few hours, Shara explained her trip around the Celestial Realm to her friends. From the farming community of Lushfield to the beautiful rainforests of Luminous Jungle. She also told them about all the people they met like Farmer Walton, Elaine, Captain Keelhaul, Rejan, Sahab, Bruno, Master Wulong and his students, and even the Tsuwaticaya clan.

While Shara was telling her story, Devon played with Ty building sandcastles and collecting sea shells on the beach.

"I must say, it sounds like you've had quite a trip." Infernius says

"I'm sure all the people you've met took Ducar's loss not well." Krysia says

"No. They didn't take it well. They felt heartbroken to lose a good friend like my husband. Each of them had many experiences with him. I made sure to tell them of Ducar's memorial." Shara says

"Yeah. Pretty much everyone in the Celestial Realm is going to be here tomorrow. Ducar's statue is just about finished. King Ambrose had many crafters working on it since you left on your trip. It actually came out great." Infernius says

"I'm looking forward to seeing it." Shara says

"We'll get our chance tomorrow. I'm sure." Infernius says

Shara rose up on her feet.

"C'mon. Let's get off this beach and take a stroll around town." Shara says

"Sure." Nicole says

"Okay." Katie says

"Sounds good." Danny says

With that said, the group began packing their things. Danny closed up the umbrella while his brother shook the sand off the beach towels away from the others. Katie and Nicole packed up their stuff, placing them inside their beach bags. Once everything was put away, the group left the beach.

( _Moments later_ )

The female Keyblade Master, her son, and their friends were now in Starlight Town, walking through the Central Plaza. Around them, the townspeople went about their business whether it to prepare themselves for Ducar's memorial tomorrow, the Battle Royale tournament, or tending to their jobs. Overhead, a couple of white doves flew in the sky above the town, making the day look all the more peaceful.

First, the group went into the Shopping District to see all the merchandise that was on sale. Next, they headed over to the Gardens District to gaze upon all the beautiful plants that grew there.

Then, the group of friends moved to the Entertainment District to grab a quick bite to eat. Shara had herself a turkey club sandwich. Devon had a hot, soft pretzel which he shared with Ty. Danny got himself a burger and fries while Riley had a hotdog. Katie had some cotton candy while Nicole had a chocolate milkshake.

And finally, to finish off their day, they went up to Starlight Castle to visit their king. The group entered the castle grounds and saw King Ambrose stepping out the doors to his castle. As soon as he saw them, a happy smile formed on his face and he went over to greet them, specifically Shara and Devon.

"Ah, Shara, my dear. Back from your trip already?" Ambrose says

"Yep." Shara says

"I hope you had a wonderful time. You'll be pleased to know that your husband's statue is finished and is ready for tomorrow." Ambrose says

"I know. Infernius told us." Shara says

"And I've been sending word of Ducar's memorial all throughout the Celestial Realm. I am certain that many people will come." Ambrose says

"I've been telling all of Ducar's friends about the memorial too." Shara says

"Yes. We've have seen them arrive in the past few days. We should be expecting Orutikan and his clan to arrive sometime tonight." Ambrose says

Ambrose looked down slightly for a brief moment, then looked back up at Shara.

"Shara, my dear, I wish there was more I could do for you and your son. Having to lose a good person like Ducar truly is heartbreaking. He's done so much good for the world. It's just hard to believe he's gone." Ambrose says

"You've done more than enough, Ambrose, and I really appreciate everything you've done for us." Shara says

Ambrose nods his head in understanding. He was glad to hear what Shara had to say for his acts of kindness.

"The memorial will take place in the Central Plaza where Ducar's statue will be presented. Be sure you and your son remember." Ambrose says

"The Central Plaza. Got it. Well, I don't want to keep you from your duties. There's gonna be a lot to do in the days ahead. We'll see you later tomorrow." Shara says

"Of course, my dear. Take care." Ambrose says

The female Keyblade Master nodded her head to King Ambrose and she left Starlight Castle with her son and their friends as they all went back home to prepare for tomorrow.

( _Later that night_ )

The sun was down. Night had fallen. The stars glittered in the night sky. And the full moon hovered up above, beaming its mystical pale light down on the Celestial Realm.

Devon was sound asleep in his room. But Shara on the otherhand was having a horrible nightmare. She was in the Master Bedroom laying on a twin-sized bed.

The bed had simple white sheet covering it, a large, navy blue blanket on top, and four pillows, two big ones in the back and two medium-sized ones in the front.

Shara laid over the blankets on her bed, tossing and turning, moaning in pain. Whatever nightmare she was having, it was tearing her apart.

( _Shara's Nightmare_ )

In her nightmare, Shara stood in a completely dark area. All around her was nothing but darkness. As she stood alone in the darkness, she heard an all too familiar voice speak to her. It was the voice of evil.

 **"SHARA..."** The dark voice says

The female Keyblade Master silently gasped upon hearing the voice. She knew who it belonged to right away. It was the voice of the evil Dark Keyblade Master, Lord Thanatos.

"Lord Thanatos!" Shara gasps in horror

 **"HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE THOSE YOU CARE ABOUT STRIPPED AWAY FROM YOU? DO YOU FEEL ANGRY? FULL OF RAGE? OR DO YOU FEEL STRICKEN WITH GRIEF? FULL OF SORROW. TORN APART AS IF YOUR HEART HAS BEEN SHATTERED INTO TINY FRAGMENTS LIKE BROKEN GLASS."** Lord Thanatos taunts

Shara made a move to summon her Keyblade into her hand, but nothing happened. She was left utterly shocked. Why couldn't she summon her Keyblade? Now left defenseless, Shara began backing away, feeling afraid for the first time in her life.

 **"HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH. YOU THINK YOU'RE AFRAID NOW? THEN ALLOW ME TO SHOW YOU THE TRUE MEANING OF FEAR!"** Lord Thanatos says

A black and blood red mist of darkness began to form up alongside Lord Thanatos' left-side. When the dark mist faded away, a figure became apparent. As soon as she saw who it was, Shara's eyes widened with horror. It was Ducar, her husband.

"Ducar!" Shara exclaims

Another mist of darkness formed on Lord Thanatos' right-side. And when it faded, another figure appeared. It was her son, Devon.

"Devon!" Shara exclaims

Both Devon and Ducar were restrained by cruel, black chains which were wrapped around their hands, pulling them up into a 'Y' formation. The young man and young boy tried to free themselves from their bonds, but to no avail. They were at the mercy of the Dark Keyblade Master who stood behind in between them.

"Shara!" Ducar exclaims

"Mommy!" Devon cries out

"Get away from them!" Shara shouts

Shara ran to try and help her husband and her son. But then, black chains shot forth from the darkness and wrapped themselves around Shara's right-arm, stopping the female Keyblade Master dead in her tracks. Shara cried out in pain as the chains caught her.

"Aah!" Shara cries out in pain

Another set of chains wrapped themselves around Shara's other arm, restraining her. Both chains pulled tightly on Shara's arms, spreading them apart. Two more sets of chains shot forth and wrapped themselves around Shara's legs. The female Keyblade Master was now completely restrained, unable to move. Another set of chains with a barbed tip pierces through Shara's back, making blood spew out from her mouth. And four more sets of chains with sharp hooks latched themselves to her ribs. The pain that Shara was in was tremendous. But the worst was yet to come. The chains on Shara's body began to meld themselves into her skin, merging with her flesh and bone, making Shara scream in complete agony.

"Aaaaaaaaaah!" Shara screams out in agony

Lord Thanatos had an evil smile on his face. He enjoyed listening to Shara's screams. It was like music to his ears.

 **"AS A HEART CAN BE MENDED, SO CAN IT EASILY BE BROKEN. AND JUST AS LIGHT CAN BE EMPHASIZED INTO A HEART, SO CAN IT BE EXTINGUISHED LIKE A DYING FLAME."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos walks over Ducar and places his left-hand on his shoulder while summoning his Dark Keyblade: the Harbinger of Shadows into his right-hand in a flash of darkness.

 **"NOW WATCH AS YOUR BELOVED HUSBAND AND YOUR PRECIOUS SON MEET THEIR DEATHS!"** Lord Thanatos says

In that moment, the evil entity began pulling his Dark Keyblade back to make the death blow while all Shara could do was watch in horror.

"Please! Don't!" Shara begs

With one strong thrust, Lord Thanatos drives the Dark Keyblade through Ducar's back, sending it straight through his body. The head of the Keyblade appeared through Ducar's chest, covered in blood.

"Ducar!" Shara screams

Ducar's eyes were completely widened as the Dark Keyblade was driven through his body. He felt his entire body fell limp and he died right on the spot. Ducar's head dropped forward and hung low, indicating he was now dead. Satisfied with his kill, Lord Thanatos pulls his Dark Keyblade out from Ducar, leaving a large hole in his body.

With that Ducar was dead, the evil entity de-summons his Dark Keyblade and walks over to Devon who was completely terrified. Even now, the young boy was crying, knowing full well that he was next to die. Shara saw the look on her son's face and she felt completely helpless to save him.

Now standing behind Devon, Lord Thanatos places his right-hand completely around the young boy's throat and began to constrict him with his powerful grip. Devon gagged and choked in the dark being's strong grip. His small body quickly felt limb, and blood began to drip out from his mouth.

"Devon!" Shara cries out

With the powerful grip of his hand, Lord Thanatos snapped Devon's neck, creating a loud bone cracking sound.

"No!" Shara screams

Lord Thanatos released his grip on Devon's throat, letting the boy's head drop forward. Both Devon and Ducar were dead. Shara was already on the verge of tears. The Dark Keyblade Master stepped away from the now dead child and stood in between him and his dead father, staring at Shara as she wept.

 **"THIS IS WHAT COMES UPON THOSE WHO DARES TO STAND AGAINST THE DARK LORD OF THE SHADOWS. NOTHING BUT DEATH, PAIN, AND MISERY."** Lord Thanatos says gesturing his hands to the now dead Devon and Ducar

Lowering his hands, the evil entity glares at Shara with his glowing red eyes, giving her a sinister stare.

 **"NOW, IT IS YOUR TURN TO DIE!"** Lord Thanatos says

In that moment, the chains began pulling themselves even further. Shara screamed at the top of her lungs as this was the most horrific pain she had felt yet.

"Aaaaaaaaaah!" Shara screams out in agony

 **"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA... HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"** Lord Thanatos laughs maniacally

Within moments, Shara's body was ripped to pieces. Nothing but blood and severed body parts was all that remained of the female Keyblade Master.

( _The Celestial Realm_ )

Shara bolted upright in her bed as she awoke from her dreadful nightmare. She was breathing heavily and pratically sweating. As she regained her senses, the female Keyblade Master looked around and saw that she was in her bedroom. She relaxed and bent over, placing her hands on her knees.

Unable to sleep, Shara got up from the bed and went out into the kitchen for a drink. She poured herself a glass of water and drank it all down in four gulps. After that, the female Keyblade Master went over to the living room and took a seat on the comfy leather couch. As she sat there, she began thinking about her nightmare. Never before did she have a nightmare like that. It was so terrifying. It was like horror on a whole different level. In fact, she was afraid of what might happen if Lord Thanatos would find them.

Looking over to her right, Shara laid her eyes on the photos of her family that stood on the side table. She got up and went over to the table, picking up one of the photos. Specifically, she picked up the one that had her, Devon, and Ducar standing on the beach infront of the sea. Shara looked upon the picture with a sad look on her face. They looked so happy together. But now that happiness was shattered. Nothing more than a memory. She soon closed her eyes and let out a sigh.

Shara placed the family photo back down on the table and turned her attention left toward the large window in the living room. She walked up to the window and glanced up at the moon, placing her right-hand on the glass.

 _"Ducar... If only you were here..."_ Shara thought to herself

Shara continued to gaze up at the moon as it glowed in the starry night sky for at least a minute until she walked away from the window with her hand sliding down along the glass. The female Keyblade Master went back on the couch and finally went to sleep. The rest of the night was peaceful as both mother and son slept.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Shara and Devon are back in Starlight Town with their friends. But now, all the citizens of the Celestial Realm shall come together to say farewell to Ducar. And then, it's on to the Battle Royale. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	49. A Hero's Farewell

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _Starlight Town_ )

The sun was up in the blue sky as the new day came. But today would not be a joyful one. Today, it was a time of grieving. All the citizens of the Celestial Realm gathered in Starlight Town within the Central Plaza to grieve for the loss of Ducar. Everyone who knew Ducar well was in attendance.

From the town itself, there was Infernius, Krysia, Ty, Danny, Riley, Nicole, Katie, Darel, and Cedric.

From the farming community of Lushfield was Farmer Walton, Elaine, and some of the people who Ducar had saved from the windmill fire long ago. Even the young girl was here with her parents to honor the hero who saved her life.

From the port-side town of Seashore Port was Captain Edward Keelhaul, Jim Philips, and the dozens of sailors who had known Ducar all their life.

From the desert city of Zaharus was Rejan, Sahab, Bulam, Mita, and even their pet monkey, Sabi.

From the underground city of Crystal Caves was Bruno, Zartus, and Grothar.

From the mountain village of Sky Peak Village was Master Wulong Katashi and his three pupils, Hiro Jinan, Trisha Seong, and Kenji Tanaka.

And finally from the jungle village of Luminous Village, there was Solana, Keili'tey, Orutikan, Ka'eyla, and dozens of hunters and warriors.

At the front of the crowd was the female Keyblade Master, Shara, and her beloved son, Devon. Deep down, Shara wished she had been taken instead of Ducar. But nothing could change that now. All she could do for him was take care of their son.

Most of the people were silent, but there were some crying individuals in the crowd. Katie and Nicole were among those few. The two female saurians had tears rolling down their cheeks. Danny and Riley had their arms around their saurian girlfriends to comfort them.

The sage-king, Ambrose, stood before the crowd, ready to give out his speech.

Behind him was a large stone statue of Ducar with his Keyblade pointed downward while his hands rested up on the Keyblade's guard. The base of the statue had writing etched into the stone which read: _"Ducar - Hero of the Celestial Realm"_. A bed of beautiful, colorful flowers surrounded the statue, making it look even more majestic.

The crowd remained perfectly silent as their gracious ruler spoke.

"My friends, we gather here today to remember the loss of a great hero, Ducar. A man who accomplished many good deeds and brought so much happiness into all our hearts. And so, we say farewell to the Celestial Realm's favorite son. A great, noble man who had earned the respect of many of us here. And one who I've had the privilage to call a friend. Though Ducar may be gone, his memory will always live on in our hearts. He leaves behind family, friends, fellow warriors, and a grateful world. Here, this statue of Ducar will forever stand within our peaceful town, watching over us just as he did. May it serve as a memorial to ensure that he will never be forgotten. And may the light of the stars illuminate the path to eternal life for Ducar as he ascends into heaven. Amen." Ambrose says

"Amen." The crowd says

Having finished his speech, Ambrose turned to face Ducar's statue and placed his right-hand on the base to pay respect to the fallen hero.

"Farewell, Ducar. You will be missed. And thank you." Ambrose says

King Ambrose stepped away for others to pay their respect. Cedric was the first. He came up to the statue and placed his hand on the smooth stonework.

"You've been a great leader to us, Ducar. I'll do what I can here in your stead. And I'll be sure to guide our brethren just as well as you did." Cedric says

Cedric bowed his head and stepped away for Darel to come up next.

"I was glad to have followed you, Ducar. You've been a big inspiration for many of us." Darel says

Having paid his respects, Darel moved away for Infernius to pay his respects to his fallen human friend. He placed his right-paw on the statue and looked up at it.

"You were my best friend, Ducar. You were the closest thing I had to a brother. I'm not sure how, but I'll do everything I can to help your family. Especially your son. I'll look after Devon and Shara. I promise." Infernius says

Inferinus bowed his head to the statue and moved away for Farmer Walton to head on up. The old man placed his hand on the statue and looked up at it.

"The world ain't ever gonna be the same with you gone, Ducar. There's lots of people here who miss ya. Me, my wife, all us farmers and ranchers back home. We'll be sure to think of you everyday and remember everything you've done for us. You rest easy now." Walton says

After paying his respects, Farmer Walton moved away for Edward Keelhaul.

"Ducar. The sea always looked better whenever you sailed with us. We'll miss those days. And we'll be missin you, lad." Edward says

Edward bowed his head and moved aside for Rejan to pay his respects.

"You have done much for the people of this world, Ducar. Your strength and courage have been an inspiration for us. And we will ensure your name be passed down into legend. May you find peace in the next life." Rejan says

Rejan placed his right-hand on the statue and bowed his head. He then moved aside for Sahab to say farewell to his friend.

"I will miss you my friend. You will always be a part of my family." Sahab says

Sahab bowed his head, then moved over to the side for Bruno to come and pay his respects.

"I sure am gonna miss you, Ducar." Bruno says

Having paid his respects, Bruno stepped away for Master Wulong to pay his respects.

"I was proud to have you for a friend, Ducar. Farewell." Wulong says

The elderly man placed his hand on the base of the statue and bowed his head. He then moved back for Orutikan to pay his respects.

"Hu nawma sa'nok tivul ma Namwa Tirea, ma 'itan. (May your spirit rest with the Great Spirit, my son.) Orutikan says in his native tongue

The matriarch placed his hand on the statue, closed his eyes, and bowed his head. Once he was done, Solana went up to pay her respects.

"Ducar, tok fpom. (Be at peace, Ducar.)" Solana says in her native tongue

Like her father, the jungle princess closed her eyes and bowed her head. Then, it was Keili'tey's turn to pay his respects. He placed his hand on the base of the statue and looked up at it.

"K yevame, ma oey tsmukan. (Farewell, my brother.)" Keili'tey says in his native tongue

The noble hunter warrior closed his eyes and bowed his head. And finally, there was Shara who was saved for last. She placed her right-hand on Devon's shoulder for a brief moment, then went up to pay her respects to her fallen husband. The female Keyblade Master placed her hand on the statue's base and looked up at it, thinking of her beloved husband.

"Ducar. If only you could see how everyone misses you. I don't know how, but someday we'll find a way to bring you back. Maybe once Devon is all grown up, he can find a way to return you to the light. I will never give you up. I promise." Shara says

Shara bowed her head in silence, then backed away from the statue.

After everyone had paid their respects to their fallen hero, it was time to send Ducar out with a bang. Ambrose looks over at Infernius and he gives the fire dragon a nod. Infernius returns the nod and he steps forward along with four other fire dragons. They stood along the left-side of Ducar's statue high at attention. Then, Infernius raised his head to the sky and launched a fireball from his mouth as a salute to his fallen human friend. The fireball flew high up into the sky above the plaza and it detonated in a small explosion, sending tiny sparks falling down harmlessly. The other four dragons followed Inferinus' example and they each sent a fireball up into the sky. Together, they launched more fireballs into the sky in a 3-volley salute.

( _Later that evening_ )

Shara and Devon were now on the beach with Infernius, Krysia, Ty, Katie, Nicole, Danny, and Riley watching the sunset together. The sun emitted an orange color and it's bottom edge nearly touched the water's horizon. The female Keyblade Master sat with her son. The fire and ice dragon both laid down next to each other with their young hatchling sitting close to his best human friend. And the two female saurians sat alongside their human boyfriends.

"I still can't believe Ducar's gone. He had so much to live for." Katie says

"My husband knew the risks. Being a Keyblade Wielder sometimes isn't a easy life. Especially when it comes to becoming a Keyblade Master." Shara says

"Well, even though you say he didn't recieve the Mark of Mastery, I'm sure Ducar would've made a great Keyblade Master just like you, Shara." Infernius says

The female Keyblade Master looked up at the fire dragon with a slight smile on her face.

"You're right, Infernius. He would have." Shara says

Looking away, Shara lowered her head down to look at the sand, thinking about the darkness that was in her husband's heart. What it made him do. And more importantly what it turned him into.

"If not for the darkness that had hidden itself away in his heart, things might have turned out different. He'd probably still be with us right now. With his friends. And with his family." Shara says

Infernius saw the solemn look on Shara's face and he felt bad for her. But not just her, but for her son as well. Shara and Devon both loved Ducar more than anything.

"Shara, I understand how you and your son must feel right about now. I miss him too. But wishing for Ducar to be alive won't bring him back. The best that you can do now is live for him." Infernius says

The female Keyblade Master turned her head right to look at the fire dragon.

"Yeah. I guess you're right, Infernius. Thanks." Shara says

Infernius gave Shara a kind smile and a nod. They both looked back at the view infront of them, watching the light from the sun flicker in the sea water.

 _"Someday, Ducar. Someday I will bring you back home."_ Shara thought to herself

The rest of the evening was peaceful as the group continued to watch the sunset.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Here's a short little chapter to express everyone's sorrow for losing a good man like Ducar. The citizens of the Celestial Realm all come together to grieve for the loss of Ducar, their favorite hero and citizen. A memorial is held in his honor and Ducar shall live on in the hearts of his friends. But now it is time to prepare for the Battle Royale to see who is the strongest and move on with the rest of this story as we come closer to it's conclusion. I know that some of these chapters are becoming shorter and I apologize. Sometimes, it's a bit hard to think of things for these chapters. But if ever I come up with some ideas, I'll be sure to go back and add them in or make some fixes. Also, I found more suitable voice references for Infernius, the fire dragon, and Krysia, the ice dragon. From now on, Infernius will be voiced by John Gremillion, the voice of Arbiter Fal 'Chavamee from _Halo Legends: The Duel_. And Krysia will be voiced by Melissa Davis, the voice of Han, Fal's wife also from _Halo Legends: The Duel_. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	50. Battle Royale

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _Starlight Town_ )

It was a glorious day in the Celestial Realm and the Battle Royale tournament was in full swing.

The Battle Royale was one of the Celestial Realm's most popular sport in which contestants compete in battles to test their might and their skills. It was also a way to train should there be a threat of evil forces. The event was held annually every year in the summer.

Dozens of people gathered to watch the tournament while the combatants readied themselves. Those participating in the tournament was Shara, Infernius, Cedric, Darel, Danny, Riley, Bruno, Hiro Jinan, and Keili'tey. Since Devon and his family left the Celestial Realm for their journey to become Keyblade Wielders, Cedric became the reigning champion for the tournament.

The rules of the tournament were simple. Whoever gets knocked out and does not stand up until the referee counts to 10, or gives up, automatically loses.

The prize for the tournament was the Cosmic Globe Trophy. The trophy was a large, crystal orb that glinted with rainbow colors, sitting on a statuette ontop of a black wooden stand while emitting a beautiful glow of light. The trophy sat on a white stone pedestal with four members of the Celestial Guard two humans and two green dragons guarding it. The two humans rode on the backs of the two dragons with spears in their hands.

The stage was set in the Central Plaza in the center of Starlight Town as it was the largest and widest area to hold such an event with so many people. The arena was a wide square ring with four tall stone pillars standing at it's corners.

Next to where the Cosmic Globe Trophy was, a large white board stood with a tree diagram that would show the order of the fighters. The tournament had three levels: the quarter-finals having four fights, semi-finals with two fights, and then there was the final fight which would determine the champion. Infront of the board was a box that had a hole up at the top. Inside was a collection of white balls that each had a different number on it which when randomly picked by a fighter would determine the order of the matches.

The referee of the tournament also stood next to the board. He had short light brown hair and dark brown eyes, wearing a white shirt, blue jeans, and black shoes.

Shara and Devon got together with Infernius, Krysia, Ty, Danny, Riley, Nicole, and Katie as everyone was getting themselves ready for the tournament. As they waited patiently, they looked around at the crowd of people that took up the whole plaza, finding it surprising that everyone was enjoying themselves.

For the tournament, Danny, Riley, and Bruno wore different outfits.

Danny wore a white tanktop, blue shorts with white trim, his black boots, and he had a pair of blue-white boxing gloves.

Riley wore a black tanktop, red shorts with white trim, black boots, and he had a pair of red-white boxing gloves.

Bruno wore his grey tanktop and black boots, but he wore black shorts and he had his black boxing gloves.

The two brothers along with Bruno currently had their hands taped and their boxing gloves hanging around their necks.

"Wow. It seemed like only yesterday all these people were sad during Ducar's Memorial. Now they're all excited about the tournament." Danny says

"Heh. Who wouldn't be? The Battle Royale is a popular sport after all." Riley says with a smile

"Good luck fighting up there, boys." Nicole says

"We'll be rooting for you." Katie says

"Thanks." Danny and Riley say in unison

"We'll be sure to cheer for you too, Shara." Katie says

Shara looked at her friends and smiled. She felt good to know that they would be cheering her on.

"Hey, Shara." A voice calls

The female Keyblade Master turned upon hearing her name and noticed it came from Darel who approached her.

"If the two of us happen to fight sometime in the tournament, I just want you to know: Don't hold anything back. You give it your best, you hear me? I want to see how skilled you are with your Keyblade." Darel says

"I will, Darel." Shara says

Elsewhere in the crowd, Hiro stood patiently with his Master, Wulong as well as his fellow students, Kenji and Trisha as they waited for the start of the tournament. As they waited, Trisha walked up to Hiro and placed her hand on his shoulder and wished him good luck.

"Best of luck, Hiro. We'll be cheering for you." Trisha says

Hiro looked right at Trisha with a calm look on his face and he gave her a nod.

Soon, the wait was over and King Ambrose stood up above the crowd to address them.

"Greetings, dear friends and family. Today, we hold our annual Battle Royale Tournament to see who among us is the strongest warrior. But before we begin, I would like to make one quick announcement. In honor of the Celestial Realm's favorite hero and his passing, we dedicate this tournament to it's former champion, Ducar. Every year, he fought hard in the tournament with honor, dedication, and skill. Every battle, he fought with heart and soul. Since his departure, the title of champion has been held by our leader of the Celestial Guard, Cedric." Ambrose says

King Ambrose gestured his right-hand over to Cedric who simply nodded his head.

"Although Cedric is currently our champion, let us always remember the man who fought for the sport that he loved, for the people he loved, and all the values he stood for." Ambrose says

Ambrose bowed his head, then backed away for the announcer to speak.

The announcer had short black hair and blue eyes, wearing a grey shirt, light blue jeans, and black boots.

"We've all had great battles in past tournaments, but this one may prove to be the most exciting which will answer the age old question. Who among us shall become our new champion? Who's skills will deem themselves worthy of greatnesss. And who will stand out as the Celestial Realm's Greatest Warrior? The battles we will see here today shall be grand, but in the end, there can be only one. So, without further ado, let the tournament begin!" The announcer says

The crowd cheers with excitement.

"Will the combatants please come up and pick a number from the box." The referee says

Shara went up first, reached in the box, and took out a ball that had the number 6 on it.

"Shara's number is 6." The referee says

Darel came up next and took his pick. His ball had the number 4.

"Darel is number 4." The referee says

Danny stepped up and reached into the box. When he pulled his hand out, he had a ball with the number 2 on it.

"Danny's number is 2." The referee says

After his brother went, Riley came up, reached his hand into the box, and took out a ball with the number 8.

"Riley is number 8." The referee says

Bruno went up and took his pick inside the box. He pulled his hand out with a ball that had the number 1.

"Bruno has picked out number 1." The referee says

Hiro came up and took his pick. He reached his hand into the box and took out a ball with the number 3 on it.

"Hiro's number is 3." The referee says

Keili'tey stepped forward and made his pick. His ball had the number 7.

"Keili'tey has picked number 7." The referee says

And finally, there was Infernius. The fire dragon went up and reached into the box with his front-paw. He took out the last remaining ball which had the number 5.

"And Infernius' number is 5." The referee says

With the numbers of the fighters picked out, the order of their matches was placed up on the board. It was Bruno vs. Danny. Hiro vs. Darel. Infernius vs. Shara. And Keili'tey vs. Riley. When the female Keyblade Master saw who she was up against, she was hardly a bit surprised.

"Looks like it's me against Infernius." Shara says

"Alright! Dad's going up against Shara!" Ty says feeling excited

"Well, the board is set and it seems all our fighters are ready. So, it's time to..." The announcer says

"BATTLE ROYALE!" The crowd cheers loudly

"To start things off, our first match will be Bruno versus Danny." The announcer says

Bruno and Danny slipped on their boxing gloves and made their way toward the ring. Bruno was the first. Danny was about to head up until Nicole called him.

"Danny!" Nicole calls

Danny stopped and looked back at Nicole as she approached him. The female saurian took hold of Danny's right glove with her left-hand and placed her other hand on his shoulder.

"Here's something for good luck." Nicole says

Nicole leaned closer to Danny and gave him a kiss on the lips. They shared the kiss for a few seconds before Nicole pulled away. Once that was finished, Danny stepped up into the ring, coming up to the referee. Krysia had Devon and Ty up on her back so that they could see all the action in the tournament.

"Okay, boys, I want you to watch your blows. No headbutts. No cheap shots. And no below the belt. Understood?" The referee says

Bruno and Danny looked at each other and smiled.

"Hey, let's make it a good fight, huh?" Bruno says

"You bet." Danny says

The two fighters bopped their gloves together and they went over to their sides of the ring.

"Fight!" The announcer says

With the sound of the announcer's voice and the bell, the match began. Danny and Bruno both got into their battle stance and began to close in on each other. They both used the southpaw stance which was common in boxing.

Danny made the first strike by hitting Bruno a few head jabs. Bruno tried to throw a body jab, but Danny quickly leaned his body to the right and countered with a right body hook, hitting Bruno's left-rib. Danny struck Bruno with more head jabs, bopping him with his right-hand. Bruno tried to hit Danny with a right-hook, but he leaned his body backwards and countered with three right-hooks of his own. He then followed up with three straight body blows which made Bruno stagger backwards.

After recovering from the last blow, Bruno looked ahead of him and saw Danny coming towards him with his left-hand poised to strike. Reacting quickly, he leaned his body back, making Danny miss, then countered with four body jabs which sent him back. Danny tried to make a comeback at Bruno with a left head jab, but he missed as Bruno leaned his body down to the left. He then went for a right head hook and again he missed as Bruno leaned more to the left. That's when Bruno made his move. After he dodged the punch, Bruno landed a fierce left body hook to Danny's rib. Three more blows followed and the last one made Danny stagger backwards.

Even though it was the first match of the tournament, the fight between Danny and Bruno was looking very intense. Danny had fast speed with his blows and quick movement, but Bruno had very decent strength, lots of stamina, and much determination when it came to boxing.

Danny quickly moved on Bruno and began hitting him with some fast head jabs, throwing punches left and right. Bruno threw two head hooks at Danny, but he leaned his body away, dodging the blows. Danny struck Bruno with three head hooks, then went for his body, landing three body jabs. Danny went for another head jab with his southpaw, but Bruno ducked down and leaned over to the right, making him miss. Then, he went and delivered a right body hook, a left body jab, and a right head uppercut, catching Danny off guard. Now, it was his turn.

Bruno circled around Danny delivering multiple head jabs with his right-hand. Danny threw a right head hook to try and hit Bruno, but he leaned his body back, making him miss. Bruno kept hitting Danny with head jabs, punching him left and right. He then pulled his right-arm back and delivered a strong body jab which knocked Danny down. Danny lurched forward after recieving the blow and fell down on his back.

Katie and Nicole gasped in shock. Shara's eyes widened with shock and she let out a small gasp.

"Danny!" Nicole cries out

Danny was down on his back and he winced in pain. While he was trying to recover, the referee went up to him and began counting down.

"1... 2... 3..." The referee counts

"Danny, get up!" Katie yells

"4... 5... 6..." The referee counts

"C'mon, bro! Get back up!" Riley yells

"7... 8..." The referee counts

Before the referee could count any further, Danny slowly started to move as he tried to get up. First, he sat up and got up on all fours. Then, he rose up and got into battle stance, putting his gloves up. Bruno could hardly believe his eyes. He was amazed that Danny was able to get up after taking such a harsh blow.

Before he could react, Bruno recieved several head jabs from Danny who struck him faster than he could blink.

"You can take him, bro!" Riley yells

Danny went on the attack on Bruno, hitting him with some quick one-two combos. He then delivered a right body jab to Bruno's stomach, a left overhand punch, and a right head uppercut which landed underneath Bruno's chin. Bruno tried to make a comeback with a body jab, but Danny leaned his body to the right and countered with a right body hook, landing a hit to Bruno's ribs.

Continuing his attack, Danny strikes Bruno with four right head hooks which made him stagger backwards. Next, he lands six body jabs to Bruno's lower torso, four more right head hooks, and follows up with multiple head jabs, attacking with fast speed. Bruno did his best to defend himself with his gloves, but he was being overtaken by Danny's blows. Danny hits Bruno with four left head hooks, then finishes with a strong right hook that brought Bruno down. Bruno stumbled backwards after being hit and fell down on his back.

With Bruno down, the referee went over and started counting down.

"1... 2... 3..." The referee counts

Bruno slowly sat up as he tried to recover.

"4... 5... 6..." The referee counts

Bruno got up and stood on all fours.

"7... 8... 9..." The referee counts

Bruno was shaking as he was struggling to get up. But just when it seemed he would get back up, his strength left him and Bruno collapsed back down on the ground.

"10! You're out!" The referee says

The crowd cheered loudly as the match was over. The referee went over to Danny and raised his right-arm up to show he was the victor.

"Winner!" The referee shouts

"We have our victor. The winner of this match is Danny!" The announcer says

"Yes!" Riley cheers

"He did it!" Katie cheers

Nicole and Katie both hugged each other and jumped around excitingly, squealing happily. Shara smiled as Danny stood victorious. The two female saurians along with Riley went into the ring and approached Danny, congratulating him on his victory. Danny took off his boxing gloves and saw Riley and Katie approaching him.

"You did good in there, bro." Riley says placing his hand on Danny's left-shoulder

"Yeah. You were amazing." Katie says

Danny looked at two friends and smiled.

"Danny!" A female voice calls out

Danny turned around in reaction to his name being called and saw that it came from his saurian girlfriend, Nicole, who stood infront of him. They were only inches apart. Neither one of them spoke until Nicole broke the silence with three words.

"I love you." Nicole says

"I love you too." Danny says

The human and saurian both leaned closer to each other until their bodies touched. Then, they both shared a kiss which was longer than the one before the match. Danny wrapped his arms around Nicole's slim body and rubbed his hands down her back and her waist while she embraced him in her arms.

Riley and Katie looked at the moment the two were having, then they looked at each other with smiles on their faces. Riley wrapped his left-arm around Katie's waist and she placed her arm around Riley's waist. Bruno rose up on his feet with some help from Zartus and Grothar. He slipped off his gloves and looked over at the quartet.

"Hey, Danny." Bruno says

Danny and Nicole both pulled apart from their kiss and they looked back at Bruno as he approached them with the earth dragon and dwarf following him.

"That there was a good fight." Bruno says smiling

"Thanks." Danny says smiling back

With their fight finished, Danny and Bruno stepped down from the ring with their friends for the next match between Hiro and Darel to begin.

"Our next match will be Hiro versus Darel." The announcer says

Darel hefted his sword onto his shoulder and went into the ring. Hiro took hold of his staff and went into the ring. The two fighters met in the center of the ring with the referee.

"Okay, boys. Watch your blows and keep it clean." The referee says

Darel and Hiro both had serious looks on their faces which could only meant that this fight would be intense too. Soon, they went over to the sides of the ring and got into battle stance. Darel held his sword by his right-side and spread his legs apart while Hiro gripped his staff, holding it out towards Darel.

"Fight!" The announcer says

With that, the match began. Darel and Hiro both ran at each other at full speed. Within moments, their weapons clashed as they reached the center.

Darel and Hiro were both caught in a blade-lock, neither one of them backing down. Darel pushed himself against Hiro, making him lean back slightly, but Hiro pushed his way back. He then swung Darel's sword away and sent him back with a right-kick to his chest. Darel slid back across the ground after recieving the kick to his chest, but he quickly shook it off and stood back up.

Hiro closed in on Darel and swung his staff at his head. Darel quickly ducked his head down to avoid being struck in the head. Seeing that Darel dodged his first blow, Hiro went for a sweep at his legs, swinging the end of his staff low to the ground, aiming for Darel's legs. Reacting quickly, Darel jumped up and dodged Hiro's staff as it swept underneath his legs. Then, Hiro tries thrusting his staff at Darel, but he knocks it away with his sword.

Now, it was Darel's turn to go on the offensive. First, he swings his sword at Hiro with two diagonal slashes, but Hiro blocks both strikes, knocking them away with his staff. Next, Darel went for a right slash at Hiro's stomach, but Hiro quickly leaps back, dodging the blade. Darel follows up with several more slashes, swinging his sword up, down, left, and right, but Hiro leans his body away at every turn, dodging his strikes. Then, Darel thrusts his sword at Hiro, but he leans his body over to the right, grabs Darel's arm with his left-hand, and counters by kneeing Darel in the stomach, making him lurch forward. Hiro throws Darel forward, making him roll across the ground. Darel quickly caught himself, jumped back up onto his feet, and turned to face Hiro.

Hiro launched himself forward at Darel with his staff and went for a flying kick. Darel saw the incoming attack and immediately jumped over to the left. Hiro landed back down on the ground and missed Darel by seconds. He turned and went for a roundhouse kick at Darel's head with his left-leg. Darel leaned his body back, dodging Hiro's kick by inches as it flew over his face. Hiro thrusts his staff at Darel aiming for his head, but he moves his head away, making him miss. Then, Hiro swinged his staff at Darel's stomach, but he jumps back, dodging the strike.

Hiro swung his staff at Darel again with a downward strike, but Darel blocked the blow with his sword, putting the two fighters in a blade-lock. Hiro pushed down on Darel, forcing him down a bit, but Darel pushed himself back up. Eventually, Darel manages to shove Hiro's staff aside, catching him off guard, and whirls around slamming the flat side of his sword into Hiro's chest, making him stagger back.

Now that Hiro had his guard down, Darel went on the attack. First, he hits Hiro with several sword strikes, landing multiple blows to his chest. Next, he delivers a left punch to his stomach, making Hiro lurch forward. Then, he sends his right-knee into his face. Finally, Darel lands two roundhouse slashes and a roundhouse kick to Hiro's chest, sending him flying across the ring. Hiro slides the ground on his back and was down.

With Hiro down for the count, Darel went over to his side of the ring as the referee started counting down. Trisha saw Hiro get knocked down and she called out to him.

"Hiro!" Trisha cries out

"1... 2... 3..." The referee counts

"C'mon, Hiro! Get back in there!" Kenji yells

Hiro slowly sat up as he tried to recover.

"4... 5... 6..." The referee counts

Hiro got up and stood on all fours.

"7... 8... 9..." The referee counts

Hiro used his staff to try and help himself up, but he wasn't fast enough.

"10! Knockout!" The referee says

Just as the referee finished counting down, Hiro stumbled back down on his knees. The crowd unleashed it's loud cheers. The referee went over to Darel and raised his right-arm up to show he was the victor.

"Winner!" The referee shouts

"The winner of this match: Darel." The announcer says

Darel looked out into the crowd and saw Shara looking at him. He smiled and nodded his head at her and she nodded back. Darel looked over towards Cedric who stood by himself and he nodded his head. Cedric stood calmly and nodded his head back at Darel.

Trisha and Kenji went up into the ring and helped Hiro to stand up. They both placed Hiro's arms around them and helped pull him back onto his feet. Once he was up, Hiro walked over to Darel with Trisha and Kenji following close behind. Darel turned and watched as Hiro approached him. Hiro soon stopped only a few feet away from Darel and the two fighters stared at each other with serious looks on their faces. But their faces soon calmed down and they both smiled. Having fought a good fight, they both bowed to each other in respect, making the crowd cheer even louder.

With their fight finished, Hiro and Darel stepped down from the ring for the next match between Infernius and Shara to begin.

"Okay. The next fight will be Infernius versus Shara." The announcer says

The crowd cheered evermore loudly as Shara's match was announced. Everyone wanted to see what Shara was capable of now that she was a Keyblade Master. And they were gonna get what they wanted.

"Yeah!" Devon and Ty say in unison

"Sounds like we're up." Shara says

Krysia walked up to her mate and the female Keyblade Master with the young boy and her hatchling still on her back to wish them both the best of luck. First, she spoke to her mate, offering him her affection.

"Good luck, my mate." Krysia says

Infernius and Krysia both nuzzled heads with each other. The ice dragoness then lowered her head down to Shara to wish her good luck.

"And good luck to you, Shara." Krysia says

"Thanks, Krysia." Shara says

Shara glanced up at her son and she walked alongside Krysia's right-side to look at him.

"You go, mom. Show 'em how it's done." Devon says

The female Keyblade Master gave her son a happy smile and she went off into the ring along with Infernius. Devon and Ty both looked at each other with excited looks on their faces, then quickly focused their attention back to the match that was unfolding infront of them.

Shara and Infernius stood on both sides of the ring, ready to begin their match. As she stood in the ring, Shara closed her eyes and stretched out her right-arm. A small light began to appear in her open palm. Then, in that moment, Shara's Keyblade: Faithful Salvation appeared in her hand in a brilliant flash of light.

Everyone stared at Shara in amazement as she stood with her Keyblade. Even Cedric was amazed.

"So that's a Keyblade." Cedric says

"Incredible." Infernius gasps

"Fascinating." Krysia says amazed

"Truly amazing." Ambrose gasps in amazement

"I can't believe it." Danny gasps

"Oh wow." Riley gasps

Nicole and Katie both looked at each other, then looked back at Shara in amazement.

"Whoa." Ty says amazed

"Told you my mom was cool." Devon says

Shara spun her Keyblade around her, then draws it to her right-side, holding it with both her hands and her feet spread widely apart. Infernius felt that fighting Ducar's wife would actually prove to be a challenge since he never fought a Keyblade Wielder in his life. But nevertheless, the fire dragon got into battle stance.

"Fight!" The announcer says

Shara made the first move and ran towards Infernius with her Keyblade in hand. Infernius launched three non-lethal fireballs from his mouth, but Shara quickly jumped left and right, dodging the fireballs. She dodged the last fireball with a somersault and leapt up into the air toward Infernius. When she reached him, Shara slammed her Keyblade down on Infernius' head. Then, she struck with an uppercut slash underneath his chin while performing a backflip and kicked him in the chest, making him stagger backwards.

Infernius shook his head and recovered from the attacks he recieved. He tried swinging his tail at Shara, but the female Keyblade Master slid underneath as it swooped over her head. The fire dragon tried slamming his tail down on Shara, but she jumps over to the right, rolls across the ground, and jumps up onto her feet. Again, Infernius swings his tail at Shara, but she jumps up into the air over the tail and over the fire dragon. Infernius stood up on his hind legs and slammed his front paws down towards Shara, but she jumped away with a backflip, leaping back a good feet away from the attack.

The female Keyblade Master and the fire dragon stood at their sides, staring at each other.

"You fight well, Shara. Just as well as your husband. I've not had a good fight like this in years. Your skills with your Keyblade certaintly are impressive." Infernius says

"Trust me, Infernius, you haven't seen anything yet." Shara says

Shara stood where she was and held her Keyblade vertically up to her face with a calm exterior. Everyone looked at Shara feeling confused as to what she was doing. Then, they watched in amazement as Shara's entire body began to glow with pure light, emitting a bright blue glow. Eventually, Shara opened her eyes which briefly flashed a blue light.

"Awesome!" Devon and Ty say in unison

Infernius charged forward at Shara with his head straight out in an attempt to ram her with a headbutt. But just when he reached her, Shara instantly teleported away, vanishing into thin air. The fire dragon skidded to a stop when he saw Shara disappear. While Infernius was looking for Shara, she reappeared high up above him, making the crowd gasp. Listening to gasps of the crowd, the fire dragon realized that the female Keyblade Master was above him. But by the time he looked up, Shara swung her Keyblade with a right-slash, sending ten blue light blasts at him. Infernius used his right-wing to shield himself from the light projectiles as they rained down on him. When he lowered his wing, Shara was gone. Again, he heard the crowd gasp. Looking straight, he saw Shara hovering infront of him with a confident smile on her face. Before he could react, she raised her Keyblade into the air with both hands and performed a magical spinning attack with trails of light and blue wisps swirling around her, landing numerous hits to Infernius.

Continuing her assault, Shara attacks with six teleporting strikes, warping around Infernius and hitting him with colorful spikes of energy from every angle. Next, she delivers multiple strikes while performing a forward and backward somersault. Then, Shara whirls forward and backward with her Keyblade enveloped with light, attacking with wide-sweeping strikes.

While Infernius was left stunned, Shara aims her Keyblade at the fire dragon and fires a salvo of rainbow-colored orbs at him. Each of the orbs hit Infernius multiple times, blasting him consistently with small colorful explosions upon impact. The fire dragon was completely overwhelmed by Shara's attacks and thus he fell flat on his stomach with his legs spread out.

With Infernius down, the referee went over and began counting down.

"1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 7... 8... 9... 10! You're out!" The referee counts

The crowd roared with cheers.

"Unbelievable! What a match! The winner of this match is Shara!" The announcer says

"Yeah!" Devon and Ty both cheer

"The powers of the Keyblade truly is astounding." Ambrose says

As soon as the match was over, Shara went over to Infernius to make sure he was alright.

"Infernius, are you alright?" Shara asks

Infernius looked up at Shara with a smile on his face.

"Ha ha ha! Yes, Shara, I'm alright. Though I am amazed at how powerful you were with your Keyblade. I never stood a chance." Infernius says

The fire dragon got up onto his feet and looked down at Shara.

"With you and your Keyblade around, I know the world will be much safer. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to fight you." Infernius says

Infernius bowed his head to Shara and she bowed to him. With their match finished, Shara and Infernius stepped down from the ring and made their way over to their friends.

"Shara, that was amazing." Danny says

"I've never seen anything like that in my life." Riley says

"You sure didn't waste all that time away for nothing." Nicole says

"You were awesome!" Katie says

Shara smile and she shyly brushed her hair.

"Our final match for this set will be Riley vs. Keili'tey." The announcer says

"Well, here goes nothing." Riley says slipping on his boxing gloves

"Good luck up there." Katie says

Riley turned to his saurian girlfriend and gave her a kiss on her cheek.

"Thanks." Riley says

After kissing his girlfriend, Riley went up into the ring. He and Keili'tey met in the center of the ring with the referee. For this fight, Keili'tey would use his bare hands and feet to fight. The two fighters bowed to each other, then went over to their sides.

"Fight!" The announcer says

With that, the match began and Keili'tey leapt up into the air, raising his right-leg up for a high kick. Riley saw this and braced himself. As he came down, the hunter warrior swung his leg down to strike. Riley leapt over to the right and rolled out of the way just as Keili'tey brought his foot down. Keili'tey went on the offensive and threw multiple punches and a few kicks here and there. Riley held up his gloves to defend himself from the punches sent his way. Keili'tey leapt up with a high jump kick at Riley's head, but Riley leaned his body back, dodging the kick as it missed his face by inches. The hunter warrior went for a right jab at Riley, but he leaned his body to the right and countered with a body jab to Keili'tey's stomach. He followed up with some more body jabs, then finished with an right uppercut which made Keili'tey stagger backwards. Now, it was his turn to attack.

Riley struck Keili'tey with three one-two punches, then followed up with three right head hooks. Next, he lands two left and right body hooks, alternating his punches, landing four body shots to the hunter warrior's stomach. Keili'tey tried to fight back with three head jabs, but Riley dodged each punch that was thrown at him and countered with a left and right body jab and a right head hook. Riley went for a right head jab at Keili'tey's head, but the hunter warrior blocked his punch with his right-hand and countered with a left kick at his ribs and another at his chest, sending Riley back. The battle was now on Keili'tey's side.

Keili'tey came at Riley with a fast series of punches all aimed at his chest, catching him off guard. Next, the hunter warrior strikes with a right kick at Riley's stomach, an left-elbow blow to his chest, and a backflip kick which lands underneath his chin. Then, Keili'tey jumps up and delivers a roundhouse kick to Riley's head, sending him spinning in the air. Riley spun through the air and eventually landed flat on his stomach.

Katie and Nicole gasped in shock. Shara's eyes widened with shock and she let out a small gasp. Even Danny was shocked to see his brother go down.

"Riley!" Katie cries out

"Riley!" Danny cries out

Riley was down flat on his stomach and he winced in pain. While he was trying to recover, the referee went up to him and began counting down.

"1... 2... 3..." The referee counts

"Riley, c'mon! Get up!" Katie yells

Riley slowly rose up on all fours trying desperately to get back up.

"4... 5... 6..." The referee counts

Riley brought his right-leg up and placed both his hands on it, pushing his way up.

"That's it, Riley! Get back up!" Danny yells

"7... 8..." The referee counts

Riley was soon back up on his feet and he waved to the referee with his right-hand, making him stop counting. Keili'tey was surprised that Riley was able to get back up. Not many people were able to withstand his fierce attacks. The only person he knew could stand up to him was Ducar. Despite this, the hunter warrior got back into battle stance and so did Riley.

Keili'tey rushes toward Riley with a leaping right kick, but Riley jumps back a good feet away. The hunter warrior went on the attack and throws multiple punches at Riley. He attacks with a two head jabs, two head hooks, and two uppercuts, but Riley dodged the punches, leaning his body away and side to side. Keili'tey even went for a high jump kick which Riley dodged by ducking down. He countered with two body jabs at the hunter warrior's stomach and a left upppercut.

Riley strikes with four right head hooks and follows up with left body hooks. Continuing his attack, Riley lands six head jabs at Keili'tey with his right-hand. Keili'tey tried to fight back with a right head hook, but Riley leaned his body back, dodging the punch as it missed his head by inches. The hunter warrior followed up with some more head hooks, but Riley dodged every one, leaning his body away. Eventually, he countered with a left body hook to Keili'tey's ribs. Next, Riley drew his right-arm back and delivered a fierce body jab to Keili'tey's stomach, making him lurch forward. Then, Riley hits Keili'tey with four right head hooks, making him stagger backwards. And finally, Riley pulled his left-arm back and delivered a strong uppercut which sent Keili'tey stumbling backwards. The hunter warrior falls down to the ground on his back, dazed and stunned.

With Keili'tey down, the referee approached and started counting down.

"1... 2... 3... 4... 5..." The referee counts

Keili'tey tried to get back up and fight, but the blows he recieved from Riley had all but worn him down. He rolled over onto all fours and slowly pushed his way up.

"6... 7... 8... 9... 10! Knockout!" The referee counts

Just as the referee finished counting down, the hunter warrior fell flat on his stomach. Riley let out a sigh of relief. The referee went over to Riley and raised his right-hand up, proclaiming him the victor of the match.

"Winner!" The referee says

"The winner by knockout: Riley!" The announcer says

The crowd cheered. Katie jumped around excitingly, squealing happily.

"Yes! Yes! He did it! He did it!" Katie squeals

Riley took off his boxing gloves and saw Danny and Nicole approaching him.

"You did good up there, Riley. I'm proud of you." Danny says

"Thanks, bro." Riley says

Before Riley could even react, Katie rushes toward him and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend, hugging him tightly and catching him by surprise.

"I knew you'd come up top." Katie says

Riley places his left-arm around Katie and his right-hand on her cheek.

"I'll always be fighting for you, Katie." Riley says

The two stare into each other's eyes, then they leaned closely to each other and kissed on the lips. Riley rubbed his left-hand up and down Katie's back while Katie placed her arms over Riley's shoulders. Nicole placed her hands on her waist and she bumped Danny with her hips, giving him a smirky expression on her face. Danny smiled and placed his left-arm around his saurian girlfriend, pulling her closer to him.

Solana, the jungle princess, went over to Keili'tey and helped him up. Then, they went over to Riley and his group just as he and Katie finished their kiss. They both stared at each other for a few moments. But eventually, a smile grew on Keili'tey's face. Seeing this made Riley smile too. Having fought a good fight, Riley and Keili'tey bowed to each other in respect.

"What a spectacular event we have going on today. The matches we've seen have been intense, but it's not over yet. The Quarter-finals are down and now it's time we move on to the Semi-finals! Please direct your attention to the white board." The announcer says

Everyone looks toward the white board and saw that the order of the fighters had changed. For the Semi-finals, it was Danny vs. Darel, and Shara vs. Riley.

"These participants listed here will proceed to the Semi-finals and we shall be one step closer to the Championship match! But before we proceed with the Semi-finals, we'll take a short break for our few remaining fighters to prepare themselves." The announcer says

( _Moments later_ )

Shara, Danny, Riley, and Darel were given an hour break to ready themselves for the Semi-finals. Everyone was talking about tournament and the fights they've seen. Mostly, they were all talking about Shara and her Keyblade. While the crowd was waiting for the Semi-finals to begin, Shara stood with her friends who were still very impressed by her match with Infernius.

"You've done well so far, Shara. I believe that you'll become the champion of this tournament." Infernius says

"I believe in you as well, Shara. I'm certain you'll turn out to be a great champion like your husband did." Krysia says

"Yeah. You're moves with your Keyblade are just amazing." Ty says

Shara looked at the three dragons and smiled.

"You and me are gonna be fighting next, Shara. You know, to be honest, I'm not sure if I'll stand a chance against you and your Keyblade. It'll be a real challenge, but I'll do my best." Riley says

"I'm sure you will, Riley." Shara says

"Hey, guys." A voice calls out

The group looked and saw Darel approach them.

"Great fighting in the tournament. We're really giving the crowd their money's worth." Darel says

Darel then directs his attention toward Shara.

"Though I cannot wait to fight you, Shara. I was really impressed with your fight with Infernius. Now, I want to see how well you fare against me." Darel says

"Well, to get to her, you'll have to get past me, Darel." Danny says

"Danny's right. Only the match will decide who gets to fight Shara." Riley says

"We'll see." Darel says

The group soon heard the bell ringing which meant their break time was over.

"Seems like our break is over. Let's go." Darel says

( _Moments later_ )

The tournament was up and running again and everyone was ready for the Semi-finals to begin.

"Our first match in the Semi-finals will be Danny vs. Darel." The announcer says

Before they went up, Darel and Danny looked toward each other with calm looks on their faces.

"Whoever wins, no hard feelings." Darel says stretching his right-hand out to Danny

"Right." Danny says

Danny took Darel's hand and they both shook in agreement. Whoever would win this match will face Shara in the next one. They went up into the ring and went over to their sides. Darel drawed his sword while Danny bopped his gloves together. The two fighters got into battle stance and waited for the announcer's signal to start the match.

"Fight!" The announcer says

Darel ran at full speed toward Danny with his sword gripped in his hand. Danny decided to meet Darel head on and he too ran at full speed toward his opponent. As they started closing distance between to each other, Darel drew his sword back, ready to strike, while Danny drew his right-arm back, ready for a punching strike. Danny went for a charging punch at Darel, but he jumped straight up into the air just as Danny threw his punch. Danny slid to a stop and looked up above him. In the air, Darel took his sword with both hands and held it over his head. He then came flying down toward Danny with an overhead strike. Danny saw this and quickly jumped back just as Darel brought his sword down.

Danny ran back at Darel and threw multiple quick punches at him. He attacked with a right and left hook and a one-two combo, but Darel leaned his body away from the punches, making Danny miss. Next, Danny tried hitting Darel with a right head hook, a left body jab, and a right uppercut. Again, Darel dodged the blows by leaning his body away and side to side. Catching Danny off guard, Darel elbows him in the stomach, making him lurch forward. Then, he hits his stomach again with the flat side of his sword and whirls around striking his back. Danny stumbled foward after being struck in the back by that last blow, but he caught himself, rolled forward, and jumped back up onto his feet, turning around to face his opponent.

Darel came at Danny with a right diagonal slash, a left slash, and a downward slash, but Danny leaned his body to the left, back, and right, dodging the sword strikes. Next, Darel went for a left jab punch and a reverse roundhouse kick. Danny leaned over to the left, dodging the jab, then moved his body back, dodging the kick. He tried to fight back with a right head hook, but Darel leapt back and whirled forward at Danny with a spinning slash. Danny saw this and quickly jumped back. Darel swung his sword at Danny with an rising uppercut, but he missed as Danny leaned his body over to the right. Continuing his assault, Darel attacked with two horizontal slashes and a downward slash. Danny leaned his body back dodging the first two slashes and right to dodge the final strike. He then countered with a right body hook at Darel's ribs, a left jab at his stomach, and a right uppercut underneath his chin which made Darel stagger backwards.

Having caught Darel off guard, Danny went on the offensive. First, he delivers two body hooks to Darel's stomach and a right head hook. Next, he strikes with four one-two punches to Darel's head. Then, he lands four right head hooks. Just as it seemed Danny had him on the run, Darel blocked one of his punches and countered with a right kick to the head, an elbow to the stomach, and a roundhouse slash to Danny's chest, sending him back.

Darel slides across the ring with his left-foot and lands a kick with his right-foot at Danny's chest. Next, Darel strikes Danny with an axe kick, leaving him stunned. Then, Darel delivers a reverse roundhouse kick to the side of Danny's head, making him spin around. Finally, Darel performs a backflip kick, launching Danny a few feet into the air. From there, Darel leaps up at Danny and sends him back down with a diagonal slash, landing a clean blow to his chest with the flat side of his sword. Danny hits the ground and rolls across the ring. Eventually, he slows to a stop, lying on his right-side.

With Danny down for the count, the referee approached and began counting down.

"1... 2... 3..." The referee counts

Danny rolled over flat on his stomach and he attempted to get up.

"4... 5... 6..." The referee counts

Danny got up on all fours as he tried to recover from the blows he recieved. He then tried to get back up into the fight.

"7... 8..." The referee counts

Slowly, Danny got onto his knees and he pushed himself up.

"9..." The referee counts

Just before Danny could fully rise up on his feet, he fell back down on one knee. The blows Darel had dealt to him had all but worn him down. He had lost the strength to continue the fight.

"10! You're out!" The referee counts

With that, the match was over. The referee went over to Darel and raised his right-arm, declaring him the winner.

"Winner!" The referee says

"The winner of this match: Darel." The announcer says

As soon as the match was over, Nicole immediately rushed to Danny's aid. The female saurian knelt down and placed her right-hand on her boyfriend's back.

"Danny, are you alright?" Nicole asks concerned

"Yeah. I'll be alright. Darel banged me up good. Ngh!" Danny says

While the referee held his arm up, Darel turned his head and looked back at Danny and Nicole. He patted the referee's shoulder who lowered his arm and went over to the couple. He stopped only a few feet from them, catching their attention. Darel and Danny stared at each other for a few moments. Darel soon smiled and offered his right-hand to Danny. Danny smiled, took hold of Darel's hand, and was lifted onto his feet.

"You put up a good fight, Danny. I almost thought you were gonna beat me there." Darel says

"Thanks, Darel, but to be honest, I think you did a lot more better than me. You sure gave me quite a pounding. Personally, I had a feeling you were going to win." Danny says taking his boxing gloves off

A grin formed on Darel's face and he gently brushed Danny's arm with his left-hand gripped into a fist.

"Ah, quite whining. You'll pull through." Darel says with a grin

The two boys laughed. Darel turned his attention to Nicole who stood close to Danny.

"You're a lucky girl, Nicole. Danny's one hell of a fighter. You should be very proud of him." Darel says

Nicole looked at Danny with a smile on her face. She took hold of his right-hand and leaned herself against his body, placing her other hand on his left-shoulder.

"I am. That's why I love him." Nicole says smiling at her boyfriend

Danny smiled and he wrapped his left-arm around his girlfriend.

With their match over, Darel stepped down from the ring with Danny and Nicole who were still holding each other's hand.

"The next match will be Shara vs. Riley." The announcer says

"We're up. Let's go." Riley says

Shara nodded her head and she proceeded to follow Riley to the ring. Before she went up, she looked back at Danny and Nicole who watched her. She felt happy for the two of them. Even though Danny lost his fight against Darel, he was happy to have fought in the tournament. Plus, he had his girlfriend, Nicole, with him which made him even more happy. Shara smiled at the lovely couple and she turned and went up into the ring.

Shara and Riley went to their sides of the ring and prepared themselves. Shara summoned her Keyblade into her hand while Riley got into battle stance.

"Fight!" The announcer says

Riley dashed straight toward Shara with a forward charge, his right-hand drawn back, ready to strike. The female Keyblade Master stood her ground and braced herself as Riley came at her. As soon as she was within reach, Riley leaps toward Shara and threw a right jab at her, but she jumped back, dodging the blow. After missing, Riley went for a left uppercut, but Shara leaned her body to the left, making him miss. He followed up with a barrage of quick punches, but Shara dodged each one that was thrown at her, leaning her body from side to side, matching his speed. Shara dodged one punch and countered with three roundhouse slashes and a high jump kick which sent Riley staggering backwards. Now, it was her turn to strike.

Shara flies forward at Riley and strikes his chest with a right slash from her Keyblade. She follows up with three wide-sweeping slashes and three overhead slashes. Next, Shara swings her Keyblade with a rising uppercut and a downward slash, knocking Riley down. Riley quickly got back into the fight, but by then, Shara performs a cartwheel back, kicking Riley under his chin. Continuing her assault, Shara spins one way, delivering a kick to Riley's head, then reverses landing another kick to his shin. She follows up with a overhead strike and a somersault leap, striking the back of his head with her Keyblade and her heel. Then, Shara strikes Riley with a right diagonal slash and follows up with a rapid flurry of slashes, spinning her Keyblade from side to side before finishing with an overhead strike that sends Riley sliding back across the ring.

Riley rushes at Shara and tried to hit her with a flying right punch, but she ducked down and leaned her body over to the left. Riley rose up and went for a left head hook. Again, Shara dodges the blow by leaned her body back. The punch missed her face by inches. Then, he threw a right jab and a left body hook. The female Keyblade Master moved her head to the left, avoiding the jab, then leapt back, dodging the body hook. Riley came at her with more punches, but she dodged every single blow that was thrown at her. After ducking down from a right head hook, Shara delivers a kick to Riley's stomach and follows up with a backflip kick that knocks him back.

Shara slams her Keyblade into Riley's chest and follows up with a left kick to his head. Next, she trips his left-leg with a low sweeping slash and follows up with four spinning slashes to his body, two horizontal and two vertical. Continuing her attack, she thrusts her Keyblade at Riley, striking him six times with a charging attack. She jumps onto Riley and delivers two kicks to his head. Then, she strikes him with an upward slash while performing a backflip. And finally, Shara strikes Riley with two rising slashes, then sends him back down with a right diagonal slash. Riley lands on his back, then flips over, landing flat on his stomach.

With Riley down for the count, the referee approached and began counting down.

"1... 2... 3... 4... 5..." The referee counts

While the referee continued with his countdown, Riley stirred a little and slowly pushed himself up. He was up on all fours when he looked up at Shara, panting heavily. He then looked away, straight at his saurian girlfriend, Katie who watched him with a worried look on her face. Glancing back at Shara, he gave her a calm smile, then fell back down on his stomach.

"9... 10! You're out!" The referee counts

"Our winner of this match is Shara." The announcer says

As soon as the match was over Katie came into the ring to help her boyfriend.

"Riley, are you okay?" Katie asks feeling a bit worried

"Ah, I'm okay, Katie." Riley says

Katie put Riley's right-arm around her back and she helped him up onto his feet. The female saurian and her boyfriend looked and saw Shara approach them.

"Well... looks like you beat me, Shara. You were pretty incredible." Riley says

"I didn't hurt you too much, did I?" Shara asks feeling concerned

"Nah, don't worry about me. I'm just glad I had the opportunity to fight you. Thank you." Riley says

Shara smiled and nodded her head. With the fight over, Riley stepped down from the ring with Katie while Shara remained inside the ring for her next match.

"And now, the final match for the Semi-finals will be Shara vs. Darel." The announcer says

Darel stepped up into the ring with his sword hefted onto his right-shoulder and met up with Shara.

"Remember what I said earlier, Shara. Don't hold back. Give me everything you got." Darel says

Shara nodded her head in understanding. The two fighters went over to their sides of the ring and got into battle stance, waiting for the match to start.

"Fight!" The announcer says

As soon as the match began, Darel leapt straight across the ring towards Shara with his sword raised over his head. On instinct, Shara held up her Keyblade in defense. The two warriors clashed with a loud clang. Darel pushed his sword against Shara, but she stood firm. Eventually, after a brief standoff, Shara manages to push back against Darel and swings his sword away before delivering a reverse roundhouse strike to his chest. With Darel caught off guard, Shara strikes him with multiple blows. She hits him with a left and right diagonal slash, a spinning slash, a downward slash, and a rising uppercut slash. The last blow sent Darel sliding back across the ring.

Darel came flying at Shara with a somersault, swinging his sword at her, but she leapt over to the side, dodging the attack. He then thrusts his sword at Shara with a lunging strike. Again, the female Keyblade Master evades the attack by jumping and rolling to the side. Darel swung his sword at Shara with a right-slash, but she blocked the blow with her Keyblade. Continuing his assault, Darel swinged his sword left and right at Shara who backflipped away. He then attacked with an overhead strike which Shara blocked holding her Keyblade up in defense. As she held back against Darel's blade, Shara saw her chance to strike and she delivered a left kick to his chest, along with a roundhouse strike.

With the battle turned in her favor, Shara delivers an axe kick to Darel's head, making him look down, then kicks him again with her other foot, knocking him away. She follows up with three reverse roundhouse slashes, swinging her Keyblade upwards before delivering a left kick to Darel's chest. Next, Shara somersaults forward at Darel with her right-foot directed at him, landing a kick to his chest and follows up with a roundhouse kick to his head. Then, she performs a butterfly kick and an uppercut with her Keyblade, launching Darel a few feet into the air. Shara leaps up at Darel, strikes him with a left and right slash, then sends him back down to the ground with a left diagonal slash. Darel bounces off the ground on his back, but he catches himself with his left-hand and lands on his feet.

Darel rushes forward at Shara and attacks with a rising uppercut. Reacting quickly, Shara leans over to the right, dodging the blade. He then swung his sword with a roundhouse slash, but Shara leaned her whole body back to avoid the blow. The sword swept over her by inches. Then, Darel went for a downward slash, swinging his sword over his head. Shara quickly held her Keyblade up and blocked against the blow, forcing them into another blade-lock. The two fighters held their ground until Shara made a move. As she held Darel's sword back, the female Keyblade Master delivered a right kick to Darel's ribs and his chest, knocking him back a bit. Then, she strikes with two horizontal slashes, performs a cartwheel kick, and delivers an uppercut slash which flipped Darel over, sending him a few feet away. Darel lands crouched down on his feet, but he got back up.

Before Darel could do anything, Shara instantly teleports to him and lands a fierce blow to his stomach, making him lurch forward. She then knees him in the face and delivers a roundhouse kick to his head. Next, Shara strikes Darel with multiple blows using her Keyblade, attacking with fast speed. Then, she backflips into the air and slams her Keyblade into the ground, creating a shockwave of light that sends Darel flying across the ring. Eventually, Darel skids to a stop and falls down on one knee.

"Alright. I've had enough." Darel says

Darel rose up onto his feet while Shara braced herself for whatever he was about to do. But what Darel did next really surprised her. Rather than continue the fight, Darel held out his sword and dropped it right onto the ground. He was forfeitting the match.

"You win, Shara. I forfeit." Darel says

Shara looked at Darel and saw that he wasn't lying. And so, she de-summoned her Keyblade and got out of her battle stance.

"Looks like Darel has decided to forfeit the match. Therefore, the victory of this match goes to Shara!" The announcer says

Shara went over to Darel and met him in the center of the ring.

"Darel, why did you forfeit the match?" Shara asks

"Ah, I felt the match was pretty much one-sided." Darel says

Darel knelt down, picked up his sword, and placed it back in it's sheathe on his back.

"I didn't really care much about the tournament. I just wanted to fight you seeing that you were a Keyblade Master and all. I wanted to see how strong you are with your Keyblade. Fighting a Keyblade Master like you was a real challenge. Now I know with you around, the world will be much safer. Besides, you were unstoppable. I couldn't even lay a hit on you. I never thought a Keyblade could make someone like you so powerful. I didn't think I'd stand a chance against you." Darel says

"If you think I'm strong, you should wait until Devon becomes a Keyblade Master. I'm sure he'll be much more powerful than me and Ducar combined." Shara says

"I'll be looking forward to it. Well, now you still got Cedric to deal with. But I'm sure you can handle him." Darel says

Darel held his right-hand out to Shara, offering her a handshake.

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to fight you, Shara. It was great pleasure and an honor to fight a Keyblade Master." Darel says

Shara smiled and she took Darel's hand, sealing the handshake. They both shook on a great match and the two of them were happy.

( _Moments later_ )

It had been a long day for the citizens of the Celestial Realm and the tournament was nearly over. The sun was beginning to set as the sky was now turning orange. Shara had fought her way through the tournament, but now there was only one match left: the Championship match.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is it! We've seen many great matches so far, but this is the moment we've all been waiting for! Our star combatant, Shara, has been ranking her way through the tournament, giving us quite a show with her Keyblade. I don't think we've had a tournament this exciting in years. And now, it's time for the grand finale: the Championship match! Shara, the Keyblade Master vs. Cedric, our reigning champion!" The announcer says

Shara stood confident as she was ready for her final match. All her friends stood behind her as she prepared herself for her fight against Cedric.

"This is it, Shara. This is what you've been fighting for." Infernius says

"We'll all be cheering for you." Krysia says

"You show 'em how it's done." Ty says

"We're here for you, Shara." Danny says

"Go up there and give Cedric one for us." Riley says

"This match is as good as yours." Nicole says

"You got this, girlfriend!" Katie says

Shara looked at her friends and smiled, feeling happy that they would be cheering for her. She even looked up at her son as he sat on Krysia's back and gave him a smile as well. Turning back toward the fight at hand, the female Keyblade Master closed her eyes and let out a calm sigh. As soon as she was ready, Shara went up into the ring. The crowd gave out loud cheers for Shara. They even cheered her name as she went up to fight Cedric.

Soon enough, Shara met Cedric in the center of the ring. They both stood calm and relaxed despite all the excited cheers from the crowd around them. Cedric had his sword infront of him, holding it with just his right-hand.

"You've come far, Shara. I admire your dedication to your duty. I saw the same in your husband. Now, let us see your true strength." Cedric says

Shara and Cedric went over to their sides of the ring and prepared themselves. Cedric took hold of his sword in both hands and drew it over to his right-side. Shara stretched her right-hand out and summoned her Keyblade in a flash of light. She spun her Keyblade infront of her, then drew it close to her right-side, gripping it with both hands. The two warriors stood ready as they awaited the announcer's signal.

"Fight!" The announcer says

With that, the match began with Cedric running towards Shara with a frontal charge. The female Keyblade Master stood her ground as the knight closed in on her. As soon as she was in reach, Cedric swung his sword with an rising uppercut. Reacting quickly, Shara leaned her body to the right, dodging the blow. Next, Cedric went for a backspin slash, but Shara blocked that too. He followed up with a roundhouse kick which Shara dodged by leaning her body back. Then, Cedric attacked with an overhead strike. Shara held her Keyblade over her head and blocked the blow, putting the two into a blade-lock. It didn't last long however as Shara countered with two rising kicks, landing a hit in Cedric's stomach and head, before sending him back with a roundhouse slash to his chest.

Before neither side could make a move, Shara held her Keyblade up to her face and closed her eyes. Her body began to emit a bright red aura and flames started to engulf both her body and his Keyblade. Eventually, Shara opened her eyes which briefly had fire burning inside them.

Everyone was amazed by what they were seeing. Even Cedric was caught by surprise.

While his guard was down, Shara rushes forward at Cedric with her body cloaked in flames and strikes him with a left slash, landing a direct hit to his chest, sending him back some feet away. She then tosses her Keyblade, which was enveloped in flames, with a twirl. Seeing the Keyblade quickly approaching him, Cedric held his sword infront of him and braced himself. The Keyblade clashes with Cedric's sword, Shara aims her Keyblade at Cedric and launches a salvo of fireballs from the tip of her Keyblade. Cedric quickly drove his sword into the ground infront of him and shielded himself from the fireballs.

Cedric came at Shara with two cross slashes. Shara held her Keyblade up in defense, shielding herself against the blows. Continuing his assault, Cedric followed up with four upward spinning slashes, but Shara leaned her body from side to side, dodging the blade. Next, he thrust his sword at Shara who knocked it away with a swing of her Keyblade. Then, he tried to hit her with the flat side of his sword. Reacting quickly, the female Keyblade Master leapt a good feet away with a backflip.

Shara rose to her feet, held her Keyblade infront of her face, and closed her eyes. This time, her body began to emit an icy blue aura and particles of ice started to emanate from both her body and her Keyblade. Shara soon opened her eyes which briefly flashed a white light.

Again, this display of the Keyblade's vast powers captured the amazed gazes of the crowd.

Shara rushes toward Cedric with her body wrapped in light blue ice crystals, and swings her Keyblade, striking him directly in the chest. Shara lands back on the ground and throws her Keyblade at Cedric with a left-diagonal toss. The Keyblade flies toward Cedric with ice particles enveloping it. Shara raises her Keyblade above her head, creating a beam of light, and stabs it into the ground, sending a trail of ice crystal spikes toward Cedric who leapt over to the side, evading the spikes.

Cedric rushes forward at Shara and tries to bash her with the flat side of his sword. Shara held her Keyblade horizontally and defended herself from the attack, though it sent her sliding back a bit. Cedric swung his sword down at Shara's legs with a low, sweeping slash, but she leapt over the blade, making him miss. He followed up with a high jump kick which Shara ducked down and dodged. Then, Cedric swung his sword with spinning slash and a skyward slash. Shara held her Keyblade vertically to block the spinning slash, but she jumped back to dodge the other slash.

For her next trick, Shara held her Keyblade close to her face and closed her eyes. Her body began to emit a bright brown aura with rock particles emanating from both her body and her Keyblade. Eventually, Shara opened her eyes which briefly flashed with a brown light.

Shara swung her Keyblade at Cedric with a left-diagonal slash, a right slash, a downward slash, and finishes with a reverse roundhouse slash. Each strike kicked up dirt, spraying Cedric with rock debris. Shara jump back, performing a backflip and swipes her Keyblade, launching five rock shards at Cedric. Shara raises her Keyblade above her head, causing rocks to form on her Keyblade. Leaping forward, she smashes her Keyblade down on the ground, sending a trail of rocky spikes toward Cedric. The knight quickly leapt away to the left and rolled across the ground before jumping back up on his feet.

Cedric charges forward at Shara and attempts to knock her with the hilt of his sword. Shara leaned her body to the right to avoid getting hit. Cedric followed up with a quick backspin slash which Shara blocked with her Keyblade. He then attacked with an upward and downward slash. Shara moved her body to the left, dodging the upward slash, but held her Keyblade over her head to block the downward slash, putting the two in another blade-lock. Eventually, Shara broke the lock by swinging Cedric's sword away and landing a reverse roundhouse slash to his chest, sending him stumbling backwards.

While Cedric was stunned, Shara held her Keyblade close to her face and closed her eyes. Now, her body began to emit a bright yellow-green aura with sparks of electricity emanating from both her body and her Keyblade. Shara soon opened her eyes which briefly flashed with a yellow light.

Shara swung her Keyblade with a downward slash, left slash, right slash, an uppercut, and finishes with a roundhouse slash. She leaps into the air with a forward somersault and swings her Keyblade with a right slash, sending bolts of electricity down toward Cedric. The knight saw the lightning bolts streaking towards him and he quickly leapt to the right, dodging them as they struck the ground. Before he could react, Shara rushes at Cedric with lightning speed, striking him in all directions with her Keyblade.

Cedric swinged his sword at Shara with two cross slashes and followed up with a high jump kick. Shara blocked the two cross slashes and leaned over to the right, dodging the kick. Next, Cedric attacks with a downward slash and a thrusting strike. Shara blocked against the downward slash and leaned her body to the left, dodging the blade. Then, Cedric swings his sword with a skyward slash and a left slash. Shara blocked both sword strikes with her Keyblade. She then swung Cedric's sword away and countered with a double kick and a spinning slash to Cedric's chest, knocking him back.

The battle was nearly over and Shara had one last trick up her sleeve. Once more, Shara held her Keyblade up to her face and closed her eyes. As she stood there, her body and her Keyblade began to glow with pure light, emitting a bright blue aura. When she opened her eyes, they emitted a brief flash of light. In that moment, a blue pillar of light came down on Shara, blinding the area with it's bright light. Everyone shielded themselves from the light, including Cedric. Eventually, the light dimmed down and everyone looked and saw Shara glowing with light as though she were an angel from Heaven.

Shara leaps up into the air and raises her Keyblade to the sky, summoning a rainbow of orbs around her. Upon landing, Shara whirls forward at Cedric with her Keyblade enveloped with light, striking him with three spinning slashes, then whirls backwards, landing three more slashes. She follows up with some more spinning slashes, this time one of fire and one of ice. Next, Shara rushes forward at Cedric while shielded in a barrier of light. Upon impact, the barrier explodes in a flash of light, leaving Cedric stunned. With his guard down, Shara delivers two cross slashes, swinging her Keyblade left and right followed by a powerful overhead spinning strike. Then, she attacks with two spinning slashes and a strong overhead strike that lands a direct hit to Cedric's chest. Finally, Shara rushes forward at Cedric with her body enveloped in light and delivers a right slash to his chest. The blow sent Cedric flying across the ring and he landed flat on his stomach.

Shara's powers with her Keyblade left everyone speechless. Absolute silence filled the plaza. The pure light which enveloped Shara's body began to fade. Cedric took hold of his sword and slowly got up on one knee using his sword for support. The knight looked up at the female Keyblade Master and gave her a calm smile.

"Well done, Shara. You have beaten me." Cedric says

In that moment, the entire crowd exploded with cheers, filling the whole town with it's loud noise.

"Incredible! Ladies and Gentlemen, Shara has won the tournament! She is our new champion!" The announcer says

The crowd began chanting Shara's name. The female Keyblade Master stood in shock as to what she had accomplished. She was now the champion of the Battle Royale tournament.

 _"I did it! I can't believe it!"_ Shara says in her thoughts

All of Shara's friends who were down in the frontlines were all happy for Shara. Especially her son, Devon.

"Alright, mom!" Devon cheers

"Wicked!" Ty cheers

"Awesome, Shara!" Danny cheers

"Yeah, Shara!" Riley cheers

"You were amazing!" Nicole cheers

"Way to go, girlfriend! Whoo!" Katie cheers

Shara walked over to Cedric who managed to get up on his feet. The knight bowed his head in respect to the female Keyblade Master. The two warriors then saw King Ambrose approach them. He nodded his head at Cedric who nodded his head back at him, then turned his attention to Shara.

"Congratulations, Shara. You fought hard and won honorably. Your husband would be proud." Ambrose says

Ambrose walks over to the Cosmic Globe, picks up the trophy, and gives it to Shara.

"And now, I give to you, the Cosmic Globe Trophy. It is yours. You've earned it." Ambrose says

The female Keyblade Master took hold of the crystal trophy in her hands as King Ambrose gave it to her. The trophy had a beautiful sparkle in it's crystal work. Shara then turned around and saw all her friends walking up to her, including Bruno, Master Wulong, Hiro, Trisha, Kenji, Solana, and Keili'tey.

"You've done it, Shara. You're the new champion." Krysia says

"Ducar would've been very proud." Infernius says

"You look just like him when he was the champion. You know, I couldn't think of anyone better to take his place." Bruno says

"Congratulations on your victory, Shara. You should be proud on what you have accomplished this day." Wulong says

Wulong and his pupils bowed in respect to the female Keyblade Master. Shara looked over at Solana and Keili'tey and they to bowed to her in respect. Then, she heard a familiar voice call out to her.

"Mom!" Devon calls

Shara turned and saw her son running up to her as happy as can be. As soon as he reached her, the young boy wrapped his arms around her, giving her a big hug, while she hugged him back, still holding onto the trophy.

"I love you, mom." Devon says

"I love you too, sweetheart." Shara says

The crowd continued cheering for the female Keyblade Master. Shara held the crystal trophy in her left-arm while she held onto her son's hand, standing tall and proud. Shara had many happy moments during her journey as a Keyblade Master. Now, she had another addition to her list.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Fight! Choose your destiny. Mortal Kombat! Oops! That's wrong! Well... anyway, it's time to Battle Royale! It's a good thing I watched a lot of the Rocky movies. Not to mention some Mortal Kombat and Soul Calibur. This one took a while, but I'm glad I got it done. Only one or two chapters left and then the storyline for Birth By Sleep will finally be complete. Shara is having a grand time with her son and all her friends being back home in the Celestial Realm. But how long will this happiness last when the Forces of Darkness is finally unleashed? We'll find out in the next chapter. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	51. Darkness Unleashed

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Realm of Darkness_ )

Deep within the Realm of Darkness, the Palace of Shadows loomed over the land like an evil shadow. It was here that the Forces of Darkness were at work, preparing themselves for war.

Most of the work force in the Dark Lord's service was Orcs, Trolls, and another race of monstrous creatures called Rhokutans.

Rhokutans were nasty mutant creatures that was mix of humans and demons. They usually have bald heads, pointed ears, red-orange eyes, large mouths full of long, sharp teeth, and blades protruding from their body, mostly in their arms. For combat, all Rhokutans possess long blades which extend from their forearms.

Besides most of his minions the Dark Lord had in his service, he also had slaves who were taken from other worlds, stripped away of their freedom. Men, women, dragons, dinosaurs, and many others were enslaved into work in building the Dark Lord's evil empire. Many of these slaves were sent into labor camps to mine Dark Gems from the surrounding wasteland. Others were put to work in foundries and mills, growing food for the Dark Lord's minions. And even a few slaves were used for sport. Some slaves were picked to be sent out into the vast wilderness only to be hunted down while others were put through torture just for amusement. The slaves wore tattered pieces of clothing. For men, it was torn shirts and pants. For women, it was torn robes.

In the mining camps, humans dug out Dark Gems from the ground using pickaxes while some dragons and dinosaurs pulled rusty steel carts around the camp. The slaves worked non-stop with Orc Captains keeping watch. The mere act of stopping for a breather would end with violent whip lashes.

"Put your backs into it, you worms!" An Orc captain shouts

The Orc violently lashed his whip at the tired slaves, making them work faster. Occasionally, some of the slaves would die from over exhaustion and would end up eaten later by the Orcs and Rhokutans who feasted on them.

"Hey! One of these slaves is dead!" An Orc says pointing at a dead male slave

"Well, get him out of here! We'll have his guts for supper!" An Orc Captain shouts

Two Orcs picked up the dead slave and placed him on a cart full of other dead slaves being pulled by an enslaved dark green dragon.

"We're gonna be feasting on meat tonight! Ha ha ha!" One of the Orcs laughs

"Good. My stomach's been grumbling for days." The other Orc says

"Make sure you take one of those dead slaves to the Dark Lord's pet dragon! Otherwise, it'll be feasting on one of us!" The same Orc Captain shouts

Elsewhere in the camp, a red dragon was pulling a cart full of Dark Gems, but stopped short and collapsed from exhaustion. It's sore muscles ached in pain. An Orc captain approached the poor dragon and lashed at it with his whip.

"Get up! Get back to work!" The Orc shouts lashing his whip

The dragon felt the sting of the whip and it winced with every strike. While taking the beating from the whip, the tired creature eventually got up onto it's feet and continued pulling the cart, moaning in pain.

"Faster!" The Orc shouts

Again, the Orc lashes his whip at the dragon to make it move faster. Meanwhile, a group of Orcs were on patrol, scouring the camp for two slaves that managed to escape.

"Search that way!" The Orc leader commands pointing in one direction

Two Orcs disbanded from the group and went to search for the escapees.

"If the Dark Lord finds out that we let these slaves escape, it'll be our heads! Now move!" The Orc leader says

While the Orcs moved through the camp, two slaves, a man and a woman hid behind some barrels. The man had short light brown hair, and brown eyes. The woman had long dark brown hair and blue eyes. The two were a married couple from another world who were enslaved by the Dark Lord. They managed to escape from their camp while some Orcs were distracted.

"We have to get away from here." The woman says

"This way, my love. Follow me." The man says

Quietly, the two slaves crept through the camp, doing their best to avoid the Orc patrols that searched for them. Unfortunately, they were soon spotted by two Orcs.

"There they are!" One of the Orcs says

"We found them! They're over here!" The other Orc says

The woman let out a terrified scream. The man quickly grabbed his wife's hand and the two slaves made a run for it.

"C'mon! Run! Run!" The man says

"Get those slaves!" The first Orc shouts

The couple ran through the camp with a group of Orcs in pursuit. However, they did not get far as an Orc archer shot the man in the leg, causing him to fall.

"Argh!" The man screams out in pain.

Seeing that her husband had fallen, the woman ran back to help her loved one. She knelt down and quickly yanked the arrow out of the man's leg while he screamed in agonizing pain. Before they knew it, the two slaves were surrounded by Orcs.

The Orcs moved aside as three Rhokutans approached the two slaves. The terrified couple looked up and saw a menacing figure standing over them. It was the Rhokutan general named Kalruka.

Kalruka was a mean, unforgiving, bloodthirsty Rhokutan warrior in service of the Dark Lord of the Shadows. He was one of the Dark Lord's generals in his army and he has a love for battle. He loyally devotes his servitude to the Dark Lord, whom he calls master. He was just one of the many faithful servants the Dark Lord had in his inner circle.

He wore a black armored vest, black leather pants, and black boots.

The two slaves huddled in fear as Kalruka looked down at them with a evil glare

"Did you really think you could escape? This is the Realm of Darkness. No one leaves this world..." Kalruka says

The Rhokutan general gave the slaves a sinister smile.

"...alive that is." Kalruka says smiling

The man and woman huddled even closer to each other, fearing what the Rhokutan would plan to do with them. Their terror was clearly visible in their eyes.

"Split them up." Kalruka says

Four Orcs walked up to the couple and grabbed them by their arms, pulling them away from each other.

"Take him to the Beast Pits. The Caragors will enjoy feasting on him." Kalruka says pointing to the man

The Orcs began dragging the man away while his wife begged to spare his life.

"No! Please! Let him go!" The woman begs

"Put her back to work." Kalruka says pointing to the woman

"No! No!" The woman screams

With that, the Orcs dragged the crying woman away, bringing her back to the mining camp.

( _Moments later_ )

The man was thrown into a circular pit that was several feet deep. Above him was a large band of Orcs and Rhokutans that all came to watch his demise. The slave could not stand up as his leg still hurt from the arrow shot he recieved. He was crippled. Looking ahead, the man saw a large grey wooden gate on the other side of the pit.

"It's feeding time, boys! Ha ha ha ha ha!" An Orc Beast Tamer laughs pulling the lever to the gate down.

Slowly, the gate started to rise up. From the darkness inside, four blood-thirsty Caragors stepped out.

Caragors were aggressive, terrifying creatures that more than often travel in packs. They belonged to the world of Middle-Earth, from the realm of Mordor. Although he had creatures like the Heartless in his command, the Dark Lord of the Shadows brought quite a number of Caragors from Middle-Earth into the Realm of Darkness to be tamed for his minions which was why he had Beast Tamers for the job.

The creatures saw the wounded slave and they could smell the blood coming from his leg. Now hungry, the Caragors stalked closer to the man while he watched helplessly. The slave had no way to defend himself nor any chance of escape. His fate was all but sealed.

Within moments, the Caragors savagely attacked the slave, biting their powerful jaws down on his weak body while he screamed out in terror and pain. One of the Caragors bit down on his legs. Another one bit down on his right-arm and eventually ripped it right out of it's socket. The third Caragor tore off the other arm and began stripping away pieces of flesh. And the last Caragor mauled on the slave's head, clamping it's teeth down on the sides of his head. Pulling with all it's strength, the beast ripped the man's head from his shoulders, instantly killing him. All four Caragors then went for the dead slave's body. Two grabbed hold of the upper body while the other two grabbed the lower body. All together, the creatures tore the body in half, making the internal organs spill out. The Caragors enjoyed their feast while the Orcs and Rhokutans above cheered them.

( _Meanwhile_ )

All was quiet within the dark halls of the Palace of Shadows, save for the ghostly moans, whispering voices, and eerie howls that filled the heavy air. Lord Drazor, the Dark Knight, meditated in his private chamber, sitting cross-legged in the center of the room, listening to dark voices that spoke to him in his thoughts.

Lord Drazor's Chamber was just a single room. It was dull and dimly lit. Two braizers lit with red flames stood at the open entrance of his chamber. The room was roughly spherical in shape. Six rectangular pillars bent outwards along the walls, with red ancient writing adorning the sides that glowed with an ominous light.

As he meditated in silence within his chamber, the Dark Knight sensed his masters calling him to the Throne Room, demanding his presence. Answering their call to service, Lord Drazor rose up onto his feet and left his chambers.

Inside the throne room, the Dark Keyblade Master, Lord Thanatos, and his apprentice, Lord Drazor, stood before their supreme master, The Dark Lord of the Shadows as he sat in his throne. His pet dark dragon, Ragnarok, was laying down at his right-side, feasting on a half-eaten corpse of a slave, tearing chunks of meat and flesh from the body.

 _ **"ThE sHaDoWs GrOw StRoNg. ThE lIgHt WhItHeRs AnD fAdEs. DaRkNeSs Is ThE tRuE eSsEnCe Of ThE wOrLd. LiFe Is BoRn FrOm DaRkNeSs OnLy To ReTuRn. SuCh Is ThE fAtE oF aLl ThInGs. NoNtHiNg CaN fOrEsTaLl ThE iNeViTaBlE. ThE eTeRnAl SaNdS oF tImE cOnStAnTlY fLoW, lEaDiNg EvErMoRe InTo ThE fUtUrE, bUt AlWaYs To An EnD. My EmPiRe ShAlL eXtEnD bEyOnD sPaCe AnD tImE, fOrEvEr LeAvInG iT's MaRk On HiStOrY. My RuLe Is EtErNaL. My WoRd Is AbSoLuTe. AlL wHo DeFy Me ShAlL eXpErIeNcE tHe PaIn Of DeAtH. ThEiR sOuLs CoNsUmEd By ThE eNdLeSs VoId Of DaRkNeSs."**_ The Dark Lord says

The evil god looks down at his faithful servants with his luminous, glowing red eyes.

 ** _"LoRd ThAnAtOs, LoRd DrAzOr, ThE hOuR fOr AtTaCk HaS cOmE. GaThEr My FoLlOwErS, aSsEmBlE mY aRmY. It Is TiMe We UnLeAsH oUr MiGhT uPoN tHe UnIvErSe."_** The Dark Lord commands

Lord Thanatos and Lord Drazor both bow to their master and leave the throne room, obeying his absolute command.

 _ **"OuR cOnQuEsT oF tHe WoRlDs ShAlL nOw BeGiN. AnD iT sHaLl BeGiN wItH tHe CeLeStIaL ReAlM's DeStRuCtIoN."**_ The Dark Lord says

( _Moments later_ )

For their list of followers, Lord Thanatos and Lord Drazor first head down to the lower levels of the palace, entering the Lazarus Sanctum.

The Lazarus Sanctum was the home of Malistare, the Dark Lord's Shadow Priest. In the center of the room was a pit of blood. The right-side of the room had a bookshelf of spellbooks and a stone table alongside it. This table had dozens of black candles standing in the back and a black spellbook called the Black Gospel in the center. This spellbook had a grey demonic skull design on the cover and more bone designs along the sides and corners of the book. The room had skull-patterned pillars, and black spine shaped torches that burned with purple flames.

Inside the room was none other than Malistare, the Shadow Priest.

Malistare was a powerful sorcerer who served the Dark Lord of the Shadows as his shadow priest. Much like his master, Malistare was a heartless being and a master of sorcery and dark magic.

His skin was completely white and decayed. His eyes were red in color. And he was completely bald, having no hair on his head or face.

Malistare wore a high collared black vest with grey accents, two gold shoulder guards, black leather gauntlets, dark grey pants, black kneeguards with skull motifs, and calf-high black boots. Malistare's attire had red circular gemstones in various places. Three on his shoulder guards, one large and two small, and two more on his kneeguards. On his head, he wore a black crown that had two curved points and was slightly slanted backwards. Around his waist was a black, ragged skirt attached to a black belt. The skirt had a thick drape of cloth hanging from the front, lined with ancient latin characters. On the belt was a gold medallion with a red gemstone embedded in its center.

His weapon of choice was a large, cruel, bony scythe which was leaning on it's stand next to the bookshelf. It's handle was black, and the blade was a bony white color. The head of the scythe was a grey screaming skull that had three spikes in the back that curved downward with the large blade coming out from the mouth of the skull. At the base of the blade was a large glowing red gem. And the pommel was a long sharp spike with several small spikes at it's base.

Malistare had his right-hand stretched toward the pool of blood, attending to an incomplete skinless humanoid construct as it slowly emerged from the pool, wailing and moaning in pain. That's when Lord Thanatos and Lord Drazor entered the room.

 **"MALISTARE, THE DARK LORD HAS SUMMONED YOU. YOUR DARK MAGIC IS NEEDED."** Lord Thanatos says

The Shadow Priest never turned around upon hearing Lord Thanatos' voice. He lowered his hand down, making the human construct sink back into the pool of blood. Then, Malistare turned toward the Dark Keyblade Master and his apprentice and slightly bowed his head to them.

"Yes. Of course. As our lord commands." Malistare says with a sinister grin

After leaving the Lazarus Sanctum, the two Dark Keyblade Masters head for the Armory. Kalruka was in the large room with his bodyguards, observing their fellow Rhokutans go through the work of forging weapons, sharpening swords, smelting iron, and pounding the blades into shape. As he stood with his bodyguards, they turned to see Lord Thanatos and Lord Drazor approach them. All the Rhokutans working paused for a moment as they saw the two Dark Keyblade Wielders walk towards their commanding general.

 **"KALRUKA, YOUR MASTER CALLS YOU TO BATTLE. ASSEMBLE YOUR TROOPS. THE TIME HAS COME."** Lord Thanatos says

"Heh heh heh. Good. About time. I was getting bored." Kalruka says

After visiting the Armory, their next stop was the Training Grounds. There, two warriors squared off against each other in a fight to the death. One was an Orc soldier while the other was a powerful Drokahn warrior. His name: Dorutan.

Dorutan was a Drokhan, a half-human, half-dragon creature of great size and incredible strength. He was one of the Dark Lord's favorite warriors, known for his power and ruthless brutality.

As a Drokahn, he had brown skin with darker spots on his back. He had a very muscular physique clearly shown by his well-built body and his two massive arms. His head was bald, except for a long black ponytail on the back of his head. His hands only had three digits. And his feet only had two toes.

Dorutan wore two black steel bladed gauntlets, six-spiked shoulder pads, three-spiked knee pads and shin guards, a large black belt around his waist, and a long scaled fauld with a thick drape of cloth hanging from the front and back lined by various ancient characters.

The duel between the two warriors was being watched by groups of Orcs and Rhokutans.

The Orc came at Dorutan with his blood-encrusted sword. But before the Orc could strike, the Drokahn warrior delivered a fierce punch to the Orc's chest, breaking it's ribs. He then grabs the Orc by it's neck and delivers another strong punch to it's head, breaking it's skull. The punch was so strong that the Orc was left stunned. It was then that Dorutan brought an end to the fight. The Drokahn grabbed the Orc with both hands, raised it over his head, and tore it's body in half, making black blood and guts spill everywhere.

The Orcs and Rhokutans cheered for Dorutan as he dropped half split Orc down on the ground. Then, they all saw Lord Thanatos and Lord Drazor approach them. The Orcs and Rhokutans loyally bowed to the Dark Keyblade Masters as they moved past them, walking towards Dorutan specifically.

 **"DORUTAN. THE DARK LORD HAS NEED OF YOU."** Lord Thanatos says

"As you wish, Lord Thanatos." Dorutan says

Returning to the Palace of Shadows, Lord Thanatos and Lord Drazor enter a cavernous chamber which was the Soul Chamber. The two Dark Keyblade Masters approach the giant black skull that held the tormented souls in it's mouth. Then, a dark entity appeared before them in a flash of green light. His name was Zurac.

Zurac was a dark entity who is a fusion of many cursed souls created by the Dark Lord of the Shadows to serve his evil empire.

His skin was grey and decayed. His eyes had an eerie greenish glow.

Zurac wore a black hooded trenchcoat with red accents, black gloves, black pants, and black boots. He also wore a mask made from black bandages fully wrapped around the head, leaving the eyes, nose, and mouth visible, with a small green amulet strapped to his forehead. He even had bandages wrapped around his arms and legs.

 **"THE DARK LORD SUMMONS YOU, ZURAC. YOU WILL HEED HIS CALL."** Lord Thanatos says

"We live to serve The Dark Lord of the Shadows." Zurac says in a demonic voice

Elsewhere within the evil palace was a dimly lit, lime-colored stone chamber covered in vines. The chamber was like a jungle with plant life everywhere. Torches set around the room was the only reliable light source.

A male slave was lost in the room, trying to find his way out. Suddenly, he heard a hissing sound coming from somewhere in the room. The slave looked around and saw nothing. He was being stalked by someone or something. From the darkness of the chamber, a large creature approached the slave from behind. Listening again, the slave heard the hissing sound, this time much closer. He soon realized that something was behind him. Slowly, the slave turned around to face his stalker. When he saw what it was, he gasped in fear. Infront of him was a giant snake staring down at him with it's glowing orange eyes.

Within moments, the snake lunged at the man with it's fangs while he screamed out in terror. With a vicious strike, the snake devoured the slave whole, killing him in the process. After devouring the slave, the giant snake shrank in size and transformed into a young woman. This was one of the Dark Lord's daughters. Her name was Luxia.

Luxia was a humanoid mutant, being a cross between humans and Rhokutans. Vicious and evil, Luxia was a deadly combination of beauty and beast. She takes great pleasure in killing others that she actually enjoys it. She finds it amusing to hear people suffer and scream for their lives. Luxia was extremely dangerous in terms of ferocity and was mentally unstable. She was loyal to her master, the Dark Lord of the Shadows.

She had short, black hair, a large mouth rimmed with long, sharp teeth, black sharp fingernails, and orange reptilian eyes.

Luxia wore a black and grey leotard that had a very deep V-neck and a loincloth at the back, long gloves, and black high-heeled knee-high boots.

Her weapon of choice was a pair of black sai that was strapped to her legs.

"Mmm... Quite delicous. Humans taste so much better when they're afraid." Luxia says with a satisfied smile

 **"LUXIA."** A dark voice calls

Luxia turned around and saw the two Dark Keyblade Masters approach her.

"Lord Thanatos." Luxia says

 **"YOUR FATHER DEMANDS YOUR PRESENCE."** Lord Thanatos says

"Yes, my lord." Luxia says bowing to the Dark Keyblade Master

 **"COME. LET US FETCH YOUR SISTER."** Lord Thanatos says

Luxia followed Lord Thanatos and Lord Drazor out of the chamber as they went to their next stop.

There was another chamber not far from Luxia's chamber. This chamber had a black, craggy, cavernous appearance. The room was dim and dark. There were torches lit with dark blue flames which helped lighten up the room, but not a whole lot. Spider webs were everywhere. Rotten corpses littered the ground and hung from the ceiling.

As the trio of villains stood in the chamber, a large creature emerges from the shadows. It was a giant spider dragging the body of a dead slave wrapped in a web-like cocoon. Upon seeing her visitors, she dropped her prey onto the ground.

"Ah. My dear Lord Thanatos. And Luxia, my sister! Fancy seeing you here." The giant spider says

"Hello, sister." Luxia says

The giant spider shrank in size and transformed into a young woman. Her name was Eyra.

Eyra was a ruthless, sadistic woman who had no qualms with claiming the lives of her victims. Like her sister, Luxia, she enjoys killing and hearing her victims scream. She was filled with unstable, erratic emotions, making her appear to be bipolar. One side of her was jolly which made her seem childish. The other side was gloomy which made her sour and aggressive. And like her sister, she was loyal devoted to her master, the Dark Lord of the Shadows.

She had black hair with lopsided pigtails with a long, thin braid on the back of her head, red eyes, and pale white skin.

Eyra wore an open black jacket, black tight pants, black clawed armored gloves, and black boots. Eyra's upper body was left exposed by her open jacket, but her breasts were covered by grey straps. Around her waist, she wore a black belt that had sabbatic goat head as the buckle, resembling satanism and witchcraft.

Her weapon of choice was a Ring Blade. The blade of the ring was dull on the inside, but sharp on the outside, allowing Eyra to swing it around without injuring herself. The Ring Blade silver and it had three sets of wing-shaped spikes on three sides of the outer blade.

 **"EYRA, THE DARK LORD CALLS YOU AND YOUR SISTER."** Lord Thanatos says

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ooh goodie! It's time to party!" Eyra says

"Come, sister. Let's not keep our father waiting." Luxia says

"He he he he. I can't wait to start collecting some nice rich souls. I really hope fun things happen soon." Eyra laughs

"They will, sister. They will." Luxia says

With that, the villainous quartet left the chamber.

While Luxia and Eyra went to meet with their father, Lord Thanatos and Lord Drazor headed into the dungeon. Deep within the darkest depths of the dungeon was a cave-like area. Inside, a large humanoid monster was chained up by his hands in a 'Y' formation with large black chains wrapped around his arms. This monster was known as Uromos, the Monstrosity of Destruction.

Uromos was a massive, muscular, humanoid creature built to be a monstrosity of destruction. He had vast superiority in strength, agility, and durability.

He had dark grey skin, a muscular body with a glowing red heart inside his chest cavity which was protected by his exposed ribcage, glowing red eyes, a mouth full of sharp fangs, and long bone-like dreadlocks that flows all the way down his back. He also had four blade-like tentacles on his back and a single sharp spike protruding from his elbows.

Lord Thanatos and Lord Drazor approached the monstrosity and stopped only a few feet infront of it.

 **"UROMOS, YOUR MASTER HAS A SPECIAL TASK FOR YOU."** Lord Thanatos says

The large monster just stared at the Dark Keyblade Master and his apprentice with his luminous red eyes and a blood-thirsty look on his face which clearly said it all. This monster was hungry for blood.

( _Moments later_ )

A massive army stood just outside the Palace of Shadows, taking up most of the wide, large, open courtyard. This army consisted of Heartless, Orcs, Trolls, Bando Gora, Demons, Rhokutans, and other vile creatures. High up on the middle section of palace was a balcony which overlooked the courtyard. Lord Thanatos and Lord Drazor stepped out onto the balcony while their army looked up at them.

 **"ALL HAIL THE DARK LORD OF THE SHADOWS!"** Lord Thanatos announces

Lord Thanatos and Lord Drazor moved over to the left to make way for their master as he walks out onto the balcony with his followers. The entire army of Darkness bowed down before their supreme ruler as he stood high above them.

 _ **"A nEw AgE iS dAwNiNg! ThE pOwEr Of OuR eMpIrE iS iNfInItE! AnD oUr ViCtOrY iS aT hAnD!"** _ The Dark Lord says

The army of darkness cheered loudly while the Dark Lord continued his speech.

 ** _"ThIs NiGhT, wE mAkE oUr PrEsEnCe KnOwN tO aLl ThE wOrLdS! MaRcH fOrWaRd To ThE CeLeStIaL ReAlM! BuRn ThEiR lAnDs! DeStRoY tHeIr HoMeS! SlAuGhTeR tHeIr ChIlDrEn! TaKe AwAy AlL tHeY fInD pReCiOuS iN lIfE! FoR tOo LoNg ThE ReAlM oF LiGhT hAs KnOwN pEaCe! BuT nOw, It Is TiMe We ShOw ThEm ThE tRuE mEaNiNg Of FeAr AnD cHaOs! LeT tHe EtErNaL fLaMeS oF DaRkNeSs BlAzE aCrOsS tHe UnIvErSe!"_ ** The Dark Lord says

The Dark Lord spreads out his arms and raises them up toward the sky.

 _ **"ToNiGhT, tHeRe WiLl Be BlOoD!"**_ The Dark Lord says

The army roared loudly, filling the whole courtyard with their noise. The Dark Lord turns to face Lord Thanatos.

 ** _"HuNt DoWn ThE sOn Of ShArA aNd DuCaR aNd KiLl HiM. BrInG mE hIs HeArT. DeStRoY aNy WhO dArE cRoSs YoUr PaTh. EnSuRe ThAt No OnE eScApEs. LeAvE nOnE AlIvE."_** The Dark Lord says

The Dark Lord leans closer to his apprentice with his eyes glowing red, giving him a murderous gaze that looked as though he would kill him right on the spot.

 ** _"Do NoT fAiL mE tHiS tImE."_** The Dark Lord says in a deep, demonic voice

 **"IT WILL BE DONE, MI LORD."** Lord Thanatos says bowing before his master

( _Moments later_ )

Lord Thanatos rode through the grey wasteland on the back of the black dragon, Ragnarok, wearing a black cloak. His apprentice, Lord Drazor, walked alongside them also wearing a black cloak. Behind them was their Army of Darkness with Luxia, Eyra, Malistare, Kalruka, Kaejo, Zurac, Dorutan, and Uromos at the front lines. Their goal: To destroy the Celestial Realm, to kill Shara, the Female Keyblade Master and her son, Devon, and destroy anything and anyone who would dare stand in their way.

 **"YOUR TIME HAS COME, SHARA, KEYBLADE MASTER OF LIGHT. NO LONGER WILL YOU SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY. NO LONGER WILL YOU EXPERIENCE ANY HAPPY THOUGHTS. HERE IN THE END, YOUR LIFE WILL BE CONSUMED BY ABSOLUTE LOSS. THEN AND ONLY THEN WILL YOU UNDERSTAND THE INEVITABLE TRUTH. THERE IS NO HOPE. NO SALVATION. NO FREEDOM. NO ESCAPE FROM THE DARKNESS THAT SHALL DEVOUR YOU. YOU AND YOUR SON WILL DIE THIS NIGHT. AND THE LAST HOPE FOR THE UNIVERSE SHALL DIE WITH YOU."** Lord Thanatos says in his thoughts

Lord Thanatos stretched forth his right-hand and a large corridor of darkness opened up for him and his army.

 **"TONIGHT, YOUR WORLD BURNS!"** Lord Thanatos says in his thoughts

With the corridor of darkness now open, the Forces of Darkness head on in as they journey forth to the Celestial Realm and their destiny.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Here's a neat little chapter showing the Dark Lord and his Forces of Darkness ready to destroy the Celestial Realm. And now, we have even more OCs. First, there's Luxia and Eyra, the two daughters of the Dark Lord. Luxia is voiced by Karen Strassman, who did the voice of Mileena from _Mortal Kombat X_. Eyra is voiced by Katie McNutty, who was the voice of Tira from _Soul Calibur V_. Next, we have Malistare, the Shadow Priest. He is voiced by Troy Baker, who portrayed the voice of Shinnok from _Mortal Kombat X_. Then, there's Zurac, the Demented Being. He is voiced by Jamison Price, who is the voice of Ermac from _Mortal Kombat X_. Up next, we have Karuka, the Bloodthirsty General. He is voiced by Greg Eagles, who portrayed the voice of Baraka from _Mortal Kombat X_. Then, there is Uromos, the Monstrosity of Destruction. He is voiced by Khary Payton, who is the voice of Doomsday from _Injustice: Gods Among Us_. And finally, we have Dorutan, the Brutal Warrior. He is voiced by Vic Chao, who is the voice of Goro from _Mortal Kombat X_. The Forces of Darkness has finally been unleashed to sow terror upon the Universe! And now they march onward to The Celestial Realm. Can Shara, Devon, and their friends hope to survive? Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	52. Night of Terror

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Celestial Realm_ )

It was a beautiful night in the Celestial Realm. The stars dazzled the night sky with their glittering lights. In addition, the night sky also had an airglow which gave off a faint bluish glow in color, making this peaceful world look even more beautiful.

Tonight was the Cosmic Festival, a special event held at night time every year in which the people of the Celestial Realm gather to celebrate another year of peace and prosperity and also to give praise to The Inheritor, who blessed them and all creatures with life and gave them such a beautiful world to call home.

The female Keyblade Master, Shara, was in her beachfront home, inside the family bedroom with her son, brushing her hair infront of a mirror.

The family bedroom had a large, rectangular window vertically split into three sections, a King size bed with two side tables on both sides, a closet on the left-side with mirrored sliding doors, a long, wide set of wooden dresser infront of the window, a large wooden wardrobe on the right-side next to the window, and wooden beauty vanity on the other side of the window across from the doorway.

The bed was made of dark wood. It had black sheets, white pillows, a light blue blanket with circle mosaic designs in an array of colors. The wardrobe was made of light wood and it had three shelves inside and two drawers at the bottom outside. The dresser was also made of light wood. It had three sets of drawers in rows of four all the way across. The vanity had three mirrors and a set of drawers on each side.

Shara was now finished with her hair and she put her brush down on the vanity.

"Are you excited for tonight, Devon?" Shara asks

"I sure am. I can't wait til we get going." Devon says

"Well, we have to wait for Infernius and Krysia to come with Ty. Not to mention Danny and Riley with Nicole and Katie. We're all gonna go together." Shara says

As the two were getting ready, they heard some knocking at the front door.

"That's probably them. Would you go ahead and answer the door for me, sweetheart? I'll be with you in a second." Shara says

"Okay, mom." Devon says

The young boy left the room and ran into the living room heading for the front door. He opened the door and saw Infernius, Krysia, Ty, Danny, Riley, Nicole, and Katie standing just outside.

"Hi, Devon!" Ty greets

"Hi, Ty!" Devon greets back

"Devon, where's your mother?" Krysia asks

As if right on cue, Shara came up from behind Devon to meet her friends.

"I'm here. Hi, guys." Shara says

"You ready to go?" Danny asks

Shara and Devon looked at each other, then looked back at their friends.

"Yeah. We're set." Shara says

"Great! Let's go!" Katie says

The three dragons, two humans, and two saurians went on ahead and started walking along the path to the town. Devon ran ahead to play with Ty. Shara grabbed the doorknob to shut the front door and was about to follow when she stopped midway and looked over at the Cosmic Globe trophy she won from the Battle Royale tournament. The trophy stood behind the family photos on the table. She still could not believe that she was now the champion. Usually, it was her husband who came out as the champion. But since he was now gone, she thought it would honor him to carry on his legacy. With a smile on her face, Shara closed the door to the house and left to catch up with her son and her friends.

( _Moments later_ )

The group arrived at Starlight Town and the festivities was already underway. There were colorful flag banners, paper cylinder lanterns, honeycomb balls, and balloons everywhere in all five districts. All the decorations had star designs on them. At the entrance to the town was a large black banner which read: Cosmic Festival in rainbow colors with dozens of glittering stars in the background.

Food stands were all around the town selling snacks like pretzels, cotton candy, and others treats. The most favorable snacks of the festival were Star Bits.

Star Bits were sweet little star-shaped gummies that came in a vast array of colors, mostly red, yellow, orange, green, blue, pink, purple, and white. They had fruity tastes that matched their color like cherry, lemon, orange, green apple, raspberry, strawberry, grape, and pineapple.

Everyone was at the festival. Walton, Elaine, and some farmers and ranchers from Lushfield. Captain Edward Keelhaul, Jim Phillips, and some sailors and fishermen from Seashore Port. Sahab, Bulam, Mita, their pet monkey, Sabi, and some of the folks from the City of Zaharus. Bruno, Zartus, Grothar, and some miners and workers from Crystal Caves. Master Wulong Katashi, Hiro Jinan, Trisha Seong, Kenji Tanaka, and some of the villagers from Sky Peak Village. And even Solana and Keili'tey from Luminous Jungle were here along with some of their hunters and warriors.

The group was having the time of their lives.

First, they went to the Entertainment District to hang out. Devon and Ty played around with the same glowing blue ball, bouncing it back and forth to each other while their parents and their friends watched.

Next, the group took a stroll into the Shopping District. There were lots of special gifts like glowing crystal stacks, colorful crystal necklaces that glowed, beautiful rainbow hibiscus flower lei necklaces and bracelets, multicolored glow sticks, and small jars of colorful stardust that shimmered with light.

Danny and Riley both got crystal necklaces and flower bracelets for their saurian girlfriends. Nicole was given a light blue necklace with a matching set of flower bracelets of the same color. And Katie recieved a pink necklace along with two pink flower bracelets. Both of the crystal necklaces emitted a faint, yet brightly glow.

Then, they headed into the Gardens District, taking a stroll through the large garden. The plants illuminated the entire district with their colorful glowing lights, making the garden look even more beautiful.

After visiting the other districts, the group of friends returned to the Central Plaza to enjoy the rest of the festival. They sat down on the ring of the large fountain. Shara sat alongside her son in the center of the group. Devon had a bag of Star Bits in his right-hand which he shared with Ty who sat alongside him. Infernius and Krysia both sat on their haunches close to their young hatchling and the small human boy. And Danny and Riley sat right next to their saurian girlfriends.

"It's nice to see everyone having fun." Shara says

"I know I'm having fun. Everything is so pretty and colorful. I love the Cosmic Festival so much! " Katie says

"Who doesn't?" Nicole says looking at Katie with a smile

Nicole looked down at her necklace and her flower wristbands as they glowed beautifully.

"I really like this necklace and these wristbands." Nicole says

"That's why we got 'em for you. They make you both look even more beautiful." Danny says

"As beautiful as the stars themselves." Riley says

Nicole and Katie turned to their boyfriends with loving smiles on their faces.

"Aw, thanks you guys." Nicole says smiling

"You boys are the best!" Katie says cheerfully

Danny and Nicole both stared into each other's eyes. Danny slid his right-hand over to Nicole's hand and took hold of it while he placed his left-arm around her slender body. The loving couple leaned closer until their bodies touched and they kissed on the lips.

While they watched the two kiss, Katie slid herself closer to Riley and bumped him with her hips, catching his attention. The female saurian flashed her pretty amber eyes at her boyfriend. It was clear that she was flirting with him. Katie rested both her arms on Riley's shoulders while he wrapped his arms around her smooth body. The two lovers moved closer to each other and kissed.

Infernius and Krysia saw the romantic moment the two humans and saurians were having and they nuzzled each other in affection.

Suddenly, the entire town fell silent as the gates to Starlight Castle slowly opened. Many members of the Celestial Guard entered the plaza, being led by Cedric and Darel. Once they were all in the plaza, they all stepped aside into rows for King Ambrose as he came forward. With everyone now focused on him, the sage-king began to tell the ancient story of how the universe was born.

"In the beginning, there was only darkness. As thus, the Inheritor had come to create a world of peace and prosperity in which life may flourish." Ambrose says

As he told the story, the sage-king raised his hands to the starry sky above.

"Stretching his hand toward the heavens, the Inheritor created Kingdom Hearts, a source of ancient power and wisdom that would become the heart of all worlds." Ambrose says

King Ambrose gestured his right-hand to the crowd.

"With that, the universe was born, bringing with it the miracles of life and the creation of countless worlds. Bathed in the light of Kingdom Hearts, the worlds thrived peaceful and prosperous." Ambrose says

Then, the sage-king clasped his hands together and hung his head low with his eyes closed.

"However, many sought the power of Kingdom Hearts for themselves. The great conflict brought forth the creation of the Keyblades, weapons of unimaginable power and mysterious magic. Thus, the legendary Keyblade War began. Death and destruction swept across the universe, leaving the worlds devastated. Once again, the universe was cast into darkness and Kingdom Hearts was lost." Ambrose says with a low voice

Opening his eyes, Ambrose's face changed from sadness to happiness as he glanced down at a group of young children made up of both humans and dragon hatchlings with a gentle smile.

"And yet, admist the chaos, the light survived within the hearts of children, rebuilding the worlds that were lost." Ambrose says walking to the children

When the sage-king reached the children, he knelt down and rubbed one hand on a little boy's head, ruffling his light brown hair, and his other hand on a young blue dragon's head, making them both giggle. Rising back up, King Ambrose finished up his story.

"The universe was reborn and life began anew. Many ages past and tales of the Keyblade War passed into legend as did the Keyblade. To some, the Keyblade was bringer of death and destruction. To others, it was a symbol of hope. Tonight, we celebrate another year of peace and prosperity as we give praise to our holy father who has given the miracles of life and a glorious home in which we may thrive together." Ambrose says

The sage-king spread his arms out and gestured his hands out to the crowd.

"May the heavenly light of Kingdom Hearts shine down upon us! May it guide us, strengthen us, and grant us everlasting peace now and forever!" Ambrose says

King Ambrose then raised his arms up to the stars in the sky.

"Let there be peace for all the worlds!" Ambrose says

Then, as if on cue, dozens of meteors soar across the stars, leaving trails of white light in the night sky. As the meteors flew across the sky, a beautiful light blue colored aurora formed up above them, appearing like a great big curtain that covered most of the night sky. Then, fireworks exploded in the sky, making the moment even more grand. Everyone was at the light show and they all cheered.

Suddenly, the happy moment was immediately cut short as dark clouds appeared in the night sky, plunging the Celestial Realms into darkness. Dark blue lightning flashed in the skies above, illuminating the sky with it's ominous light. Everyone watched nervously with fearful expressions. Then, they heard a dark voice echo all around them.

 **"PEACE IS FRAGILE BELIEF. IT DOES NOT LAST FOREVER. IN TIME, WAR ALWAYS MAKES IT'S MARK IN THE WORLD. PEACE IS NOTHING BUT A FRAIL LIE. AND NOW, YOUR TIME HAS COME."** The dark voice says

A large corridor of darkness opened up behind King Ambrose. The sage-king backed away while the members of the Celestial Guard moved themselves up front with their swords and spears ready. Out from the dark portal came the Dark Keyblade Master himself, Lord Thanatos, with the hood of his dark cloak still up, riding on the back of the black dragon, Ragnarok. Alongside them on their right was the Dark Knight, Lord Drazor.

As soon as she saw them, a horrified look came upon Shara's face.

"Lord Thanatos!" Shara gasps silently

"What is the meaning of this?! Who are you?!" Ambrose asks

 **"I AM KNOWN AS LORD THANATOS. I STAND IN SERVICE TO THE DARK LORD OF THE SHADOWS. I AM HIS RIGHT-HAND OF DARKNESS."**

Everyone was shocked to hear Lord Thanatos' name. They all heard Shara mention that an evil being named Lord Thanatos killed her husband, Ducar. Now, his murderer stood before them.

"Lord Thanatos... Shara told us about him." Krysia gasps

Nicole snarled, showing her sharp teeth.

"That monster!" Nicole growls

"It was you? You killed Ducar?!" Infernius asks

 **"INDEED. DUCAR WAS WEAK AND PATHETIC. HIS OBSESSION FOR POWER MADE HIM EASY TO CONTROL. I KILLED HIM AND TOOK HOLD OF HIS SOUL. THUS, I MADE HIM INTO MY APPRENTICE AND A PERFECT SERVANT FOR THE DARK LORD. SURELY THE FEMALE KEYBLADE MASTER, SHARA, HAS TOLD YOU ALL OF THIS."** Lord Thanatos says

Infernius growled and curved his lips, bearing his teeth.

"Ducar was not weak! He was a great man! He fought to protect his friends and his family from evil tyrants like you!" Infernius roars

Lord Thanatos thrust his right-hand forward at Infernius, sending bolts of dark blue lightning from his fingertips. The fire dragon was painfully electrocuted by the lightning blast and he roared out in pain. Overwhelmed by the attack, Infernius collapsed on the ground, landing on his right-side.

"Dad!" Ty cries out

"Infernius!" Krysia cries out

The young dragon hatchling immediately went up to his father and nuzzled his face against his. Infernius slowly lifted up his head and nuzzled his son back, assuring him that he was alright.

 **"THIS WORLD HARBORS THE LEGENDARY KEYBLADE MASTER. EVEN NOW, HE HIDES WITHIN THIS METROPOLIS, HIDDEN FROM THE DARK LORD'S GAZE. A CHILD WHOSE HEART IS FILLED WITH PURE LIGHT. BUT SOON, I SHALL FIND HIM... AND HE WILL DIE."** Lord Thanatos says

Everyone in the plaza was shocked upon hearing this. Lord Thanatos was seeking the Legendary Keyblade Master, and they all knew from Shara who it was.

"Devon..." Krysia gasps silently

Devon was indefinitely scared, knowing that Lord Thanatos had come to kill him. Shara moved her son behind her, trying to hide him from the dark being.

 **"THE REALM OF LIGHT HAS LIVED IN PEACE FOR FAR TOO LONG. IT IS TIME DARKNESS CASTS IT'S SHADOW OVER THE UNIVERSE. THIS WORLD NOW BELONG TO THE DARK LORD OF THE SHADOWS. YOU WILL ALL SUBMIT TO HIS SUPREME POWER OR YOU WILL FACE THE WRATH OF HIS ETERNAL EMPIRE!"** Lord Thanatos says

"I will never kneel to you or your master! I did not join the Celestial Guard just to let evil have it's way! I would rather die than serve those who kill our friends!" Darel says

Lord Thanatos looked down at Darel with a sinister gaze. He then stretched his right-hand out toward Darel, grabbing and ensnaring him with telekinetic force. Darel couldn't move. Lord Thanatos raised his arm up, lifting Darel up into the air. Everyone watched in shock. Lord Thanatos pulled Darel closer to him.

 **"I ADMIRE YOUR BRAVERY, MORTAL. ADMIRABLE THOUGH IT MAY BE, YOU ARE AN UTTER FOOL TO OPPOSE THE DARK LORD'S WILL. NONE CAN WITHSTAND HIS DARK POWER."** Lord Thanatos says

The Dark Keyblade Master shifted his evil gaze toward the crowd.

 **"NONE OF YOU HAVE ANY CHANCE OF ESCAPING THE COMING STORM THAT SHALL CONSUME ALL LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE."** Lord Thanatos says

The dark being began to slowly tighten his hand into a fist, choking Darel slowly. Darel felt the telekinetic force gripping his throat, making him gag.

 **"BUT IF YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH, I SHALL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRANT IT TO YOU!"** Lord Thanatos says looking back at Darel

With a thrust of his hand, Lord Thanatos sent Darel flying across the plaza. Darel flew over the crowd and smashed up against a lamp post and he tumbles onto the ground, landing flat on his stomach. The dark being then sent Cedric and the other soldiers flying with a swipe of his hand. With them out of the way, Lord Thanatos turns his gaze toward King Ambrose who backed away in fear, clutching his heart with his right-hand. The Dark Keyblade Master stretched his hand out to the sage-king and grabbed hold of him with telekinetic force. Ambrose was lifted up into the air and pulled closer to Lord Thanatos. With the sage-king at his mercy, the dark being looked out toward the crowd.

 **"RESIST IF YOU WILL. NOTHING CAN DELAY THE INEVITABLE. IN THE END, YOU WILL EITHER SUBMIT OR DIE!"** Lord Thanatos says

Shifting his gaze, Lord Thanatos looked back at King Ambrose with his glowing red eyes.

 **"AND YOU SHALL BE THE FIRST TO DIE."** Lord Thanatos says

In that moment, a dark black cloud engulfs King Ambrose's body while he screamed out in fear and in pain. When the dark cloud dispersed, the sage-king was nothing more than a skeleton. Lord Thanatos released his hold over the now dead sage-king, letting his skeleton drop to the ground. Everyone in the crowd screamed in terror.

 **"THIS IS WHAT AWAITS THOSE WHO DEFY THE DARK LORD OF THE SHADOWS AND HIS EMPIRE: EXCRUCIATING, PAINFUL DEATH."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Thanatos' right-hand began to spark with dark blue electricity.

 **"NOW, BEHOLD AND BEAR WITNESS THE POWER OF DARKNESS!"** Lord Thanatos says

The Dark Keyblade Master raised his hand up and sent a torrent of lightning bolts into the dark skies above. Everyone shielded themselves from the lightning. The whole town was lit up by the light of the lightning. A massive swirling dark vortex appeared in the sky with a red orb of darkness at it's center. Lord Thanatos grips both his hands into fists, causing a dark aura to flash briefly, and slowly opens them, conjuring up dark black fireballs in his hands. He then spreads his hands out, opening a large dark portal behind him and his apprentice. Out from the portal came the Forces of Darkness. Luxia, Eyra, Malistare, Kalruka, Kaejo, Zurac, Dorutan, and Uromos stepped out from the dark portal along with legions of Heartless, Orcs, Rhokutans, Trolls, Bando Gora, and monstrous Demons, ready to slay and destroy. Everyone stood frozen in fear.

 **"SHALL WE BEGIN?"** Lord Thanatos says with a sinister grin

In that instant, everyone immediately ran for their lives. Terrified screams filled the air as the evil army commenced it's attack. The monsters began destroying everything in the town. An Orc brought it's sword down on a wooden stall, slicing the table in half. Two Rhokutan warriors flipped over another stall, destroying all it's contents. And some Orcs threw burning torches into the buildings inside the town, sending them ablaze. The Heartless went about their primal instincts, attacking the people of the Celestial Realm, intent on consuming their hearts. The Bando Gora aided in the slaughter using their bone-like staffs and daggers, even their own claws.

The Monstrosity, Uromos, stomped forward and approached the tall statue of Ducar that stood in his way. He grabbed the statue with just one hand, and broke it off from it's stand. He then raised the statue over his head and threw it down to the ground, shattering it to pieces. Only it's head remained intact. The Monstrosity took the stand and threw it at a nearby building, reducing it to rubble. Uromos then stomped toward the large, beautiful fountain that stood in the center of the plaza. He raised his large, muscular arms, he slams his huge fists down on the fountain, ultimately destroying it, leaving only a large crater in the ground.

While the citizens of the Celestial Realm ran to escape, the Celestial Guard stood their ground as they fought against the Forces of Darkness. Even some brave individuals like Danny, Riley, Bruno, Zartus, Grothar, Master Wulong, Hiro, Trisha, Kenji, Solana and Keili'tey stayed to defend their home and their friends. Cedric rushed over to Darel and helped him up. He wrapped his right-arm around Darel's body, putting his left-arm over his shoulder, and lifted him onto his feet.

"Darel, are you alright?" Cedric asks

"Ah, yeah. I'll be fine." Darel says

Darel drew his sword and held it at his side.

"Once I make these monsters pay for what they did to Ducar! And what they're doing to our world!" Darel says with some anger in his voice

While Darel stood ready to fight, Cedric turned his head and looked back over his left-shoulder, looking directly at Shara.

"Shara! Get yourself and your son out of here! Your lives are the only thing that matters! Go!" Cedric yells

Turning back to the fight at hand, Cedric drew his large sword and gripped it with both hands, standing alongside Darel.

Shara was a bit hesitant to leave all her best friends to face Forces of Darkness all by themselves, but she soon realized that saving her son was more important. Fighting the reluctance in her heart, the female Keyblade Master picked up her son and ran as fast as she could, carrying her precious child in her arms.

Seeing Shara and Devon run for safety, Infernius felt he should do the same for his mate and their young dragon hatchling. And so, he turned to face his family one last time.

"Krysia, take our son and go with Shara and Devon!" Infernius yells

"Dad, I don't want to leave you!" Ty cries out with tears in his eyes

"I love you, Ty." Infernius says in a soft voice

Infernius nuzzled his head against Ty's small head, saying farewell to his son. He then looked upon the sad face of his mate.

"Infernius..." Krysia says in a sad voice

"Krysia..." Infernius says

The fire and ice dragon both nuzzled each other for a brief moment, then drifted away.

"Take care of our son." Infernius says

Krysia had a tear streaming down her face, but she nodded her head in understanding. The ice dragoness picked up Ty with her mouth, carrying him by his body, and took off, following Shara and Devon. While they left for safety, Infernius turned to face the evil threat, standing alongside Cedric and Darel. Everyone else was already fighting their own group of enemies. The fire dragon and two men saw a group of Neo-Shadow Heartless heading their way and they braced themselves.

 _"This is for you, Ducar!"_ Infernius says in his thoughts

The heroic trio charged at the Forces of Darkness, each letting out a battle cry.

"Haaaaah!" Darel shouts

"Tyaaaaah!" Cedric shouts

"Rrrraaaaaaaaaahhhh!" Infernius roars

Within moments, the two sides clashed and the battle for the Celestial Realm began.

Infernius knocked a Shadow Heartless away with his head, sending it flying. He saw two more Shadows sink into the ground, moving toward him. The fire dragon rose up on his hind legs and slammed his paws down on the Heartless just as they emerged. Three Shadows leapt at Infernius with their claws, but he spun around and swung his tail at the Heartless, making them disappear in a puff of black smoke.

Darel cut down a Bando Gora demon that tried to attack him with a downward slash, then spun around and struck down another Bando Gora demon with a right slash. Looking ahead, Darel saw a Bando Gora captain wielding a bone-like staff which had a green ball of fire at the top. Behind it was a whole group of Bando Gora. They soon attacked Darel at once, charging toward him. Darel stood fast as the demons approached him. He quickly drew both his pistols and gunned down the demons as they came at him. One by one, each of the Bando Gora fell to the gunshots. After making short work of the Bando Gora demons, Darel focused his attention on the captain which rushed toward him. He took out his sword and charged straight toward the captain. Within moments, the two warriors clashed, catching each other in a blade-lock. Darel broke the clash by pushing the staff up over Bando Gora captain's head and kicked it in the chest. With it's guard down, Darel struck the captain with the pommel of his sword, then he drove his blade through the Bando Gora captain's chest, killing it instantly. Having defeated his evil foe, Darel kicked the dead Bando Gora off his sword, letting it fall to the ground.

Cedric swings his large sword with a low slash at an Orc's legs, sweeping it off it's feet. Then, he slices off the Orc's head in mid-air with a clean downward slash. An Orc on Cedric's left ran toward him with both it's battle axes. Cedric quickly spun around and cut the Orc down with a backspin slash. Another Orc on his right rushed toward Cedric for an attack. The knight spun around and thrust his sword at it. The large blade stabs straight through the Orc's body, killing it right on the spot. Cedric took his sword, spun around, and swung it downward, throwing the dead Orc off his blade and onto the ground.

Danny and Riley stood together, fighting off any Heartless, Orc, or Rhokutan that attacked them. Nicole and Katie also stood their ground and fought. Even though they were female saurians, they knew how to fight.

Danny punched a Rhokutan warrior with a right hook, hitting it across the face. He sends his left-knee into the Rhokutan's stomach, making it lurch forward. Then, Danny flips the Rhokutan over onto the ground and stomps on it's head with his right foot, crushing it's skull. Another Rhokutan warrior came at Danny from the left-side with it's blades extended. Danny caught sight of the approaching Rhokutan and quickly leaned his body out of the way. The black blades missed his body by inches. After dodging the blades, Danny countered the attack with a body jab at the Rhokutan's stomach and a right uppercut under it's chin, which made the Rhokutan flip backwards and fall onto the ground.

Riley threw a left hook at the head of an attacking Orc, landing a direct hit in the left-side of it's face. Next, he sent his right-elbow into the Orc's stomach, making it lurch forward. Riley hits the Orc away with his right-knee to it's face, then delivers a hard punch to the Orc's head, making it flip over twice before falling onto the ground on it's back. Another Orc came at Riley with a blood-encrusted scimitar raised over it's head. Riley caught sight of the Orc and braced himself. Just as the Orc was about to bring it's scimitar down on him, Riley grabbed the Orc's arm, halting the attack, and delivered three body jabs to it's stomach. He then strikes with two head hooks and finishes with a kick to the chest, sending the Orc flying backwards.

Nicole brought down a Rhokutan warrior with a punch to the head and a right kick to it's stomach, making it fall onto the ground. Another Rhokutan charged at the female saurian on her left. Nicole saw the approaching Rhokutan and braced herself. Just as it closed distance with her, Nicole delivered a fierce punch to the Rhokutan's stomach, making it lurch forward. Next, she brought her right-knee up to the Rhokutan's face, which made the mutant creature stumble backwards. Then, Nicole delivered a left kick to the Rhokutan's chest, sending it flying.

While she was distracted, another Rhokutan manages to sneak up behind Nicole and grabs her in a crushing embrace.

"Get your hands off me!" Nicole yells

Katie had just defeated an Orc with a kick to the chest when saw her friend was in trouble. She was about to help when an Orc came up from behind and grabbed her arms, restraining her.

"Hey! Let me go!" Katie yells

The human brothers turned around and saw their saurian girlfriends were in trouble.

"Nicole!" Danny cries out

"Katie!" Riley cries out

"Hold on! We're coming!" Danny yells

They both ran to help the female saurians, but more Rhokutans and Orcs got in their way, cutting off their path.

While the two brothers fought their way through to them, the female saurians worked on trying to free themselves from their captors. It took a while but Nicole managed to get her right-arm free. She elbowed the Rhokutan behind her, freeing herself from the mutant's hold, and spun around, delivering a reverse roundhouse kick to it's head. While the Orc was distracted by Nicole, Katie stomped her right-foot down on the Orc's foot, causing it to grunt in pain. Having freed herself, Katie punched the lights out of the Orc, landing a hit right in the face.

Danny and Riley managed to finish off their group of Rhokutans and Orcs and made their way over to their saurian girlfriends.

"Are you girls alright?" Danny asks

"Yeah. We're fine." Nicole says

"Just cause we're girls doesn't mean we can't fight." Katie says

The two humans and saurians soon saw another group of evil monsters approaching them.

"Girls, get out of here!" Danny shouts

"We'll hold these freaks off!" Riley shouts

"No, Danny! I won't leave you!" Nicole cries out

"And I'm not leaving you either, Riley!" Katie cries out

For a brief moment, the two brothers turned to their saurian girlfriends.

"Please, Nicole. Keeping you and Katie safe is all that matters to us." Danny says placing his hand on the right-side of Nicole's face

"We don't want to see you both get hurt." Riley says placing his hand on Katie's left-shoulder

"Danny..." Nicole says

"Riley..." Katie says

Danny and Riley both gave Nicole and Katie a quick kiss on the lips before turning back to the battle at hand.

"Please. Go now." Danny says

Nicole and Katie looked at their boyfriends one last time, then they ran for the gate leading out of the town. Just as they were about to head out, Katie stopped.

"Nicole, I can't do it. I can't leave Riley behind." Katie says with a sad voice

"C'mon, Katie. We can't stay here. It's dangerous." Nicole says

"But, Nicole, I love him." Katie says

"I know how you feel. I feel the same way about Danny." Nicole says

What Nicole said was true. She loved Danny with all her heart just as Katie loved Riley. The two girls couldn't stand to leave their boyfriends behind. So, instead of running, they would decide to hide. Looking around, they saw the ruins of a broken building.

"We can hide over there. C'mon." Nicole says

Nicole and Katie went over to the ruined building and hid behind a broken wall. They peered around the corner and watched as Danny and Nicole fought off against the Forces of Darkness.

Outside the metropolis, the surrounding land was already under siege. The lovely houses in the town were now on fire, the trees that once blossomed beautifully were now engulfed in flames, and the innocent people and creatures that lived in this world were being killed left and right. As the chaos continued around them, Shara ran through the town with her precious son in her arms with Krysia and Ty following close behind.

"Mom! What's going on?!" Devon asks terrified

"Close your eyes, Devon! Keep them shut!" Shara says

Listening to his mother, the young boy shut his eyes as they continued moving through the town.

Back in the metropolis, the heroes were actually putting up a decent fight against the Forces of Darkness.

Bruno was putting the hurt on a Rhokutan warrior with three one-two combos, landing multiple hits to the head. He then delivered an uppercut to the chin, sending the mutant creature flying backwards. Another Rhokutan tried to attack Bruno from the side by lunging it's blades at him, but the man leaned his body out of the way and countered with a punch to the ribs. Bruno struck the Rhokutan with a left and right head hook, then knocked it down with a strong head jab that made the mutant flip over and fall facedown onto the ground.

Zartus rammed his head into a Shadow Heartless, sending it flying. He then swung his club-like tail down on a Shadow behind him, making it disappear in a puff of black smoke. Two Shadows emerged from the ground infront of Zartus, but he slammed both his paws down on the Heartless, taking them out easily. A few Shadows jumped on the earth dragon's body to try and claw him, but he shook them all off with a spinning strike.

Grothar bashes an Orc in the head with his battle axe, then slices the vile creature in half across the waist. Both halfs of the Orc fall to the ground. Another Orc came running at the dwarf with it's sword raised over it's head. When it closed distance, the Orc swung down at Grothar who instinctively held his battle axe up over his head in defense, blocking the blow. Grothar takes his battle axe and strikes the Orc in the ribs, making it fall over. Then, he finishes it with a downward strike that sliced the Orc's head off.

Wulong stood his ground as a group of six Rhokutans surrounded him. Each of them looked hungry for blood. Within moments, the mutant creatures all attacked at once, starting with the Rhokutan warrior who tried to attack the elderly man from behind with it's blades. The mutant charged at Wulong with a cross slash, but the old sensei leapt up with a backward somersault, dodging the attack. Two Rhokutans tried to attack from the sides, but Wulong sent them back with multiple kicks, spinning like a tornado. The first Rhokutan from before came back around and went for a frontal charge. Just as it closed distance, the old master struck the mutant with a hard chop to the neck, and another chop to the back of the neck, bringing the Rhokutan down. Wulong quickly brought down two of the remaining Rhokutans with two palm strikes, then took out the last one behind him with a backhand strike.

Hiro, Trisha, and Kenji all stood together as a large group of Heartless, Orcs, and Rhokutans approached them. Hiro spun his staff like a pinwheel and drew it to his right-side, pointing it at the evil creatures. Trisha twirled her jian chinese sword in her hand and brought it up alongside her face with the blade held sideways toward her enemies. Kenji spun his nunchaku around his body, then drew it to his right-side, getting into battle stance.

Hiro swings his staff at a Rhokutan warrior that charged at him, striking it in the head, causing it to flip over onto the ground. He then brings his staff down on the mutant's chest, stabbing it directly in the heart. Diverting his attention, Hiro noticed another Rhokutan warrior rushing toward him from the left-side with it's blades extended. When it came close enough, the mutant swung it's blades at Hiro with a cross slash. Hiro quickly ducks down and counters with a backflip kick, sending the mutant staggering back. While the Rhokutan was stunned, he bashes it in the head with his staff, then hits it in the chest.

Trisha held up her sword as an Armored Knight Heartless brought it's blade down on her, putting the two in a blade-lock. It didn't last long as Trisha swung the blade away and drove her blade into the chest of the dark creature, making it disintegrate. Another Heartless tried to attack from the right with a leaping strike. Reacting quickly, Trisha jumped back into the air just as the Armored Knight swung it's blades down. While in the air, Trisha threw her sword down at the Heartless. The sword cuts into the Heartless, stabbing into it's chest. Upon landing, Trisha grabs her sword and leaps at another Armored Knight Heartless with a spinning slash, taking it out.

Kenji swung his nunchaku at an Orc infront of him, striking it multiple times in the chest. He then delivered a high jump kick to the head, making the Orc flip over backwards onto the ground. After dealing with the vile creature, Kenji looked to his left and saw another Orc rushing toward him with it's sword raised over it's shoulder. Before it could bring it's sword down, Kenji delivers a strong kick to the Orc's chest and an uppercut to the chin, leaving the Orc dazed. While it was stunned, Kenji punches the Orc twice, then slams his right-elbow into it's chest, sending it flying back.

Solana and Keili'tey stood close to each other as a group of Heartless and Rhokutan warriors approached them. The jungle princess gripped her bow and notched an arrow onto the string while her mate had his dagger in his hand, holding it in a reverse grip.

Solana fires an arrow into a Shadow Heartless, defeating it with one shot. She then fires another arrow at another Shadow, taking it out as well. Several more Heartless attack the jungle princess. Solana swings her bow over her shoulder at one Heartless infront of her, then swings it at another one, knocking both of them away. A Shadow leaps at Solana with it's claws ready to slice her, but the jungle princess slams her bow down on the Heartless just as it reaches her. Yet another Shadow leaps toward Solana in an attempt to claw her, but she quickly notches an arrow and fires. The arrow hits the Heartless right between the eyes, causing it to disappear in a puff of black smoke.

Keili'tey rushed forward at a Rhokutan warrior with his dagger. As he closed the distance, the mutant lunged it's blades at him. The hunter ducked down, sliding underneath the blades and drove his dagger into the Rhokutan's chest. He then performed a low sweeping kick at the mutant's legs, making it fall down onto it's back, and plunged his dagger into it's chest again, finishing it off. Rising up, Keili'tey saw another Rhokutan charging at him with it's blades extended. When it got close enough, he kicked the mutant right in the stomach. The Rhokutan lurched forward as it recieved the blow. While the mutant was stunned, Keili'tey grabs the Rhokutan by it's head and flips it over onto the ground. He then brings his dagger straight down into the Rhokutan's head, the blade stabbing right into the brain, killing it instantly.

Lord Thanatos and his band of villains watched as the heroes fought valiantly to defend their beloved home. The dark dragon, Ragnarok growled as he watched the heroes fight. Lord Thanatos looked down at the black dragon, feeling the rumble from it's growl. Then, he looked at his followers who stood at his sides, knowing well that they were eager to partake in the destruction of the Celestial Realm. The Dark Keyblade Master climbed off Ragnarok's back and gave out a single command.

 **"KILL THEM. KILL THEM ALL."** Lord Thanatos says

With that, Lord Drazor, Ragnarok, Luxia, Eyra, Malistare, Zurac, and Dorutan set out to destroy the heroes. Lord Thanatos looked over to his right at Kalruka and Kaejo, issuing them a second command.

 **"CAPTURE THE CHILDREN AND A FEW SLAVES IF YOU CAN."** Lord Thanatos says

Kalruka and Kaejo nodded in acknowledgement, then went and joined the other villains.

Cedric and Darel finished off their group of enemies and they met up with each other.

"These guys are relentless! They just keep coming!" Darel says

"We need to hold these monsters back! The people need time to escape!" Cedric says

Cedric and Darel looked ahead of them and they saw Lord Drazor walk toward them and stop only a few feet infront of them.

"You have already lost. This world shall drown in both blood and darkness. Nothing you do can save it. All worlds shall fall to darkness. And all shall serve the Dark Lord. But your meaningless existence must now come to an end." Lord Drazor says

Lord Drazor stretched his right-hand infront of him and summoned his Dark Keyblade: Fear's Shadow in a flash of darkness. Cedric and Darel both got into battle stance as they prepared to face off against Lord Drazor, the Dark Knight.

"Prepare to die!" Lord Drazor yells

In that moment, Lord Drazor rushes forward at the two men with a sliding dash. Cedric and Darel jump out of the way, dodging the attack. Having split them up, the Dark Keyblade Wielder went straight for Cedric, attacking him first.

Lord Drazor raised his Dark Keyblade over his right-shoulder and took a swing at Cedric who held up his sword in defense. He follows up with two horizontal slashes and a downward slash, but Cedric kept up his defense and blocked each blow that was thrown at him. Then, Lord Drazor strikes with an uppercut slash which knocks away Cedric's large sword, leaving him open. Catching the knight off guard, the Dark Keyblade Wielder thrusts his left-hand forward, sending Cedric flying across the plaza with a telekinetic blast. Cedric fell on his back and he rolled across the ground, coming to a stop laying flat on his stomach. The knight tried to get back up using his sword for support, but the attack was so intense that he was left weakened. Cedric was up on one knee when he saw Lord Drazor closing in on him, ready to finish him. But before the Dark Keyblade Wielder could reach him, Darel came rushing to Cedric's aid with his sword raised over his shoulder.

Darel charged straight at Lord Drazor and swung his sword down over his shoulder. Lord Drazor held up his Dark Keyblade and blocked the strike, forcing the two warriors in a blade-lock. It didn't last long however as Lord Drazor swung Darel's sword away and kicked him in the chest with his right-foot, sending him back. Darel slid across the ground and skidded to a stop. He quickly drew his two handguns and fired a barrage of bullets at the Dark Keyblade Wielder. Lord Drazor spun his Dark Keyblade infront of him like a pinwheel with just one hand, deflecting each shot. He then began to advance toward Darel who continued to fire his handguns. When he got close enough, Lord Drazor swung his Dark Keyblade with a right slash, knocking the two handguns out of Darel's hands. Darel took out his sword and tried to hit Lord Drazor with a spinning slash. Lord Drazor leapt over Darel with a somersault and struck his back with his Dark Keyblade, making Darel roll forward. Darel quickly jumped to his feet and turned to face his opponent only to have himself ensnared by Lord Drazor's telekinetic grip as he stretched his left-hand out toward him. Darel was soon hurled backwards, sliding across the ground on his back, skidding to a stop near Cedric.

Cedric and Darel both got back on their feet and attacked Lord Drazor at once, giving it their all. The Dark Keyblade Wielder stood firm as the two men assaulted him, blocking and dodging each blow that was thrown at him. Eventually, Lord Drazor blocked Cedric's sword and kicked Darel from behind, making him fall down on his back. With Darel out of the way, the Dark Knight swung Cedric's sword away and struck his head with a strong punch to the face, leaving him stunned. He then slices Cedric's head off with one swift strike. Darel saw this and his eyes widened in horror.

"Cedric!" Darel cries out

Cedric's headless body falls backwards onto the ground with his arms spread out.

Enraged upon seeing his friend dead, Darel quickly rose to his feet and immediately attacked Lord Drazor with fast, relentless strikes. Lord Drazor was able to keep up his defense as Darel savagely attacked him. He waited until Darel had exhausted his energy, then knocks his sword out of his grasp, leaving him defenseless. Having disarmed Darel and weakened him, Lord Drazor takes his Dark Keyblade and drives it through Darel's body, stabbing him through the chest, utterly destroying his heart in the process. The young man froze as the Dark Keyblade pierced his body with it's head emerging from his back. Darel groaned in pain, choking on his own blood. Lord Drazor removed his Dark Keyblade from Darel's body, leaving a bloody hole in his chest. Darel fell over on his back, collapsing on the ground, dying from the fatal blow.

The fight was over. Cedric and Darel, two of the Celestial Realm's best guardians were both dead.

"May your souls suffer for eternity." Lord Drazor says

Infernius pinned a Shadow Heartless down underneath his paws and finished it by clamping his jaws down on it's head. After defeating the Heartless, the fire dragon looked up and saw the black dragon, Ragnarok stalking toward him, growling and snarling. Infernius snarled back at Ragnarok, returning the threat. Within moments, the two dragons rushed toward each other and clashed with furious force. They both fought each other viciously, using their claws and teeth. However, Ragnarok was proven to be more savage than Infernius. The black dragon swiped it's right-paw at the red dragon, leaving a large bloody claw mark across his chest. Then, Ragnarok rammed his horns into Infernius' left-side, making the fire dragon fall over. Once Infernius was down, the dark dragon pinned him down underneath his paws and clamped his sharp teeth down on his neck, causing him to roar out in pain.

Zartus rushed to Infernius' aid, ramming his head into Ragnarok's side. Now focusing his attention on the earth dragon, the black dragon attacked with it's dark fire breath, unleashing a stream of dark blue flames from it's mouth. Zartus quickly flew up into the air, dodging the breath attack. From the air, the earth dragon came back down at the dark dragon, curled up into a ball. Ragnarok leapt back just as Zartus smashed into the ground. The impact kicked up a cloud of dust. Zartus looked through the dust, searching for Ragnarok, but could not see anything. He then heard a loud roar coming from behind him. The earth dragon turned around to see the black dragon leaping toward him. Catching Zartus off guard, Ragnarok slams into the green dragon's side, forcing him down to the ground. Zartus was now pinned to the ground with the dark dragon's paw on his throat and the other on his side. Opening his large jaws, Ragnarok bit down on the earth dragon's throat with powerful strength, causing him to roar in agonizing pain. Zartus flailed his body around as he tried desperately to free himself. Using all his strength, Ragnarok clamped his jaws down on Zartus' neck one more time, creating a sickening crunch that killed the earth dragon instantly. Zartus' body and tail fell limp and his struggling immediately stopped.

Having dealt with Zartus, Ragnarok turned his gaze back toward Infernius who was still down on his side. The dark dragon walked over to the fire dragon and dug his sharp claws down into his neck and his body, making Infernius yelp in pain. And just like Zartus, he clamped his jaws down on the red dragon's neck, choking the life out of him. Infernus roared loudly in agonizing pain and he flailed his body and his tail around. His struggling started to weaken as his body got weaker and weaker. As the life drained out of his body, Infernius' last thoughts were of his friends, Ducar, Shara, their son, Devon, but more importantly, his mate, Krysia, and his young hatchling, Ty. The fire dragon's body and tail soon fell limp and his head dropped as he sighed his last breath. Infernius was now dead. Ragnarok released his grip on the red dragon's neck and let out a loud roar in victory, having defeated both Infernius and Zartus.

Danny and Riley both finished the last of their opponents when they saw Luxia and Kalruka approach them.

"Ah, new toys to play with. Killing you willl be such fun." Luxia says

Danny took on Kalruka while Riley faced Luxia. The Rhokutan General extended the blades on his arms and got into battle stance while Danny put up his fists.

"I won't let you destroy my home! And I won't let you kill the people I love! Not while I'm standing!" Danny says

"My blades will find your heart!" Kalruka says

Kalruka rushed forward at Danny who braced himself. The Rhokutan swung his blades at Danny, aiming for his head, but he ducked down and countered with a punch to Kalruka's stomach. Danny followed up with a couple more punches at Kalruka's stomach, then struck him under the chin with an uppercut. The Rhokutan General staggered back a bit after being hit, but he quickly recovered just in time to see Danny rushing toward him. He threw a punch at Kalruka, but the mutant leaned his body back and countered with a punch to the head, sending Danny back.

While his brother continued his fight, Riley put up his fists as he prepared to fight Luxia.

"Me and my brother are not gonna let you monsters have your way!" Riley says

"I will enjoy tearing your heart from your body." Luxia says

Luxia took out her black sai from her back and twirled them in her hands.

"Let us dance!" Luxia says

Riley made a frontal charge toward Luxia and attacked her with multiple punches. Luxia quickly dodged every punch that was thrown at her. Riley tried to throw a punch at Luxia's head, but she leaned over to the side and grabbed hold of his arm.

"Is that the best you can do?" Luxia taunts

Luxia elbows him in the face, punches him in the stomach, then knees him in the face, making him stagger backwards. Riley tried to make a comeback with a right hook, but Luxia ducked down and disappeared in a shroud of pink, flame-like aura. She reappears in the air and comes down at Riley from above with a jump kick, hitting him in the chest. Riley went and threw a punch at Luxia, who leaps back, teleporting away with her pink shroud. Luxia reappears in the air and strikes with two more jump kicks, one to Riley's chest and the other to his back, sending Riley stumbling forward a bit. Riley turned around and tried to strike back with a punch, only for him to miss as Luxia leaned over to the side. Catching him off guard, Luxia grabs hold of Riley, thrusting herself into the air, doing a handstand on his shoulders, then swings herself back down, kicking Riley in the stomach. The blow sent Riley falling backwards onto the ground, rolling over and landing flat on his stomach.

Riley was left weakened and beaten by Luxia's attacks. He was just no match for her savage skills. Having worn Riley down to nothing, Luxia rushes toward him with her sai, stabs him in the stomach, making him lurch forward, then knees him in the face, breaking his skull. While Riley was reeling from the stab wounds in his stomach, Luxia takes one of her sai and slits his throat with a clean slice. Riley froze as the blade sliced his throat, feeling the blood flow down his neck. Finally, Luxia plunges her hand into Riley's chest and rips his heart out, finishing him off. Riley falls backwards onto the ground and lies dead in a pool of his own blood. Luxia looks down at the still beating heart in her right-hand with hungry eyes, hissing in delight. She takes off her mask, revealing her razor sharp teeth, and devours the heart, reducing it to shreds.

"Delicious. Hehehehe." Luxia laughs maniacally

The two female saurians who were hiding saw what happened to Riley. Nicole was horrified, but not as much as Katie was.

"No!" Katie cries out

Katie started crying and hugged Nicole while she tried to console her.

Danny turned around and saw his brother's dead body on the ground.

"Riley!" Danny cries out

While he was distracted by the death of his brother, Kalruka drove his blades through Danny's back. Danny froze as he felt the blades pierce his body. He slowly looked down and saw the tips of Kalruka's blades appearing through his chest.

Again, the saurian girlfriends were horrified to see their boyfriends defeated. Katie was still crying, but now it was Nicole's turn. She watched with a horrified expression as Kalruka lifted Danny up off the ground with the blades piercing his body.

"Danny!" Nicole screams

Kalruka retracted his blades, allowing Danny's limp form to fall onto the ground. Danny and Riley were both dead, lying next to each other. Kalruka and Luxia gazed down at the two dead brothers with sinister expressions on their faces. Kalruka had a triumphant smie on his face and Luxia laughed maniacally.

"Hehehehehe." Luxia laughs

Nicole and Katie both hugged each other with tearful eyes as they wept over the loss of their boyfriends.

Bruno had just beaten his group of enemies, taking down the last Rhokutan warrior who was down on one knee with a punch to the head. Looking up, he saw the Demented Being, Zurac hovering toward him.

"The Dark Lord will have your soul." Zurac says

"You want it? Come and get it!" Bruno says

Zurac thrusts his right-hand forward, sending a green zig-zag beam slithering towards Bruno who ducks down, dodging the attack. Bruno rushes toward Zurac and tries to strike him with a punch, but the soul being knocks the blow away with his hand. Bruno follows up with two uppercuts and a right head hook, but Zurac leans his body away, evading the punches, and counters with a punch to Bruno's face, sending him back. He then stretches his hands out and pulls them back, pulling Bruno back toward him with his telekinetic powers and delivers a right uppercut to his chin, making him stumble backwards.

Zurac flies up into the air, then flies into Bruno with a headbutt, breaking his skull. Next, he flies back up and back at Bruno wtih a kick to his neck, snapping it. Bruno was sent flying backwards from the kick, crashing into the ground and flipping over onto his stomach. Just when he thought it was over, Zurac hovers above Bruno, then slams down on his back with an elbow drop, crushing his spine and ribs. Bruno tried to get back up, but his body was badly broken. He was reeling in pain.

With Bruno left weakened, Zurac lifts him up into the air with his telekinetic powers, then slams him back down into the ground. The Demented Being lifts Bruno up again and slams him back down again. He slams Bruno into the ground multiple times before lifting him up into the air one last time. With his opponent hovering above him, Zurac spreads his arms out, tearing Bruno's body vertically in half. He then drops Bruno's bisected body onto the ground, hovering in victory.

Grothar brought his axe straight down on an Orc's head, finishing it off. He then saw Eyra walking toward him with her Ring Blade hanging on her right-shoulder.

"You killed my friends, ruined the lives of innocent families! For what you have done, I will make you pay!" Grothar yells

"You think your weak moves can take me out? That's a laugh!" Eyra says

Eyra spun her Ring Blade around her arm, then held it with both hands along her right-side.

"Ha ha ha ha. Let's find out just how dark your blood is." Eyra laughs

"Taste the blade of my axe!" Grothar yells

Grothar rushes forward at Eyra with his axe raised over his shoulder, letting out a battle cry.

"Rrrrraaaaarrrrrggggghhhhh!" Grothar yells

As soon as he got close enough, Eyra swung her Ring Blade with an upward slash, landing a direct hit to his chest, sending the dwarf back. Grothar stumbled backwards upon receiving the blow. Before he could recover, Eyra kicks Grothar in the head, lifts her right-leg up, then sends it back down, landing another hit to the head with her heel. Grothar was left stunned by the blows he recieved so far. But Eyra wasn't finished with him yet.

"Time to put you out of your misery!" Eyra says with a gloomy voice

In that moment, Eyra's Ring Blade began glow with a dark purple aura. The same dark aura enveloped Eyra's body as well and she began slashing Grothar with her Ring Blade, hitting him violently with rapid strikes. She then performs a backflip and finishes with a downward slash which sent the dwarf flying backwards, landing flat on his back.

Grothar was badly cut up, weakened from the attacks he recieved. He tried to get up on his feet, but Eyra kicks the dwarf in the head, knocking him down on his back. Eyra walks over to him, spinning her Ring Blade around like a hoola-hoop. Once she reaches him, the evil lady puts her foot down on Grothar's chest, pinning him to the ground. The dwarf grabbed Eyra's leg in an attempt to push her off, but to no avail. His strength was all but drained.

"Aw, too bad, shorty." Eyra says

Eyra leans down closer to the dwarf's face, looking him straight in the eyes.

"You're dead!" Eyra says with a sinister smile

Eyra lifts her Ring Blade high over her head, then drives it down on Grothar's neck, decapitating him.

"Hahahahahaha!" Eyra laughs

Master Wulong brought down a Rhokutan warrior with a reverse roundhouse kick to the head, making it spin and flip over onto the ground. The elderly man looked around at all the mutant creatures he defeated, then looked ahead to see Malistare, the Shadow Priest approach him with a sinister smile on his face.

"You have fought well, old man, but the fate of your world is already sealed. Soon, all shall come to darkness and my master shall reign supreme." Malistare says

"As long as there are those willing to fight, there is always hope for the future." Wulong says

"There are none who can stand up against the Dark Lord's infinite power. All who dwell in the Realm of Light will submit to his rule or suffer as victims of his divine wrath. Your soul shall burn along with this pathetic world!" Malistare says

Wulong leaps at Malistare with a flying punch, but the Shadow Priest leans his body to the right, dodging the punch. Wulong follows up with multiple quick punches, aiming for Malistare's chest and head. Malistare blocked and dodged each punch that was thrown at him with little effort. He then catches Wulong's right-arm as he tried to deliver a chop and counters with a kick to the ribs and a palm strike to the chest, sending the elderly man back.

Hiro, Trisha, and Kenji had just finished off their group of enemies with Hiro swinging his staff down on a Rhokutan warrior. The trio looked over to their left and saw that their mentor was already engaged in his fight with the Shadow Priest. Then, they saw the large Drokhan warrior, Dorutan approach them.

"Whoa, he's a big one." Kenji says

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall." Trisha says

"Agreed." Hiro says

"Even three young warriors such as yourselves are no match for a Drokhan." Dorutan says

Hiro, Trisha, and Kenji stood together as they faced off against Dorutan who stepped forward.

"I shall give you all a warrior's death." Dorutan says

Hiro was the first to attack. He leaps at Dorutan with his staff raised over his head and swings it down, but the Drokhan leans his body away just as Hiro brings his staff down. Hiro follows up with a spinning strike aimed at Dorutan's head, but he catches the staff in his large hand and counters with a palm strike to Hiro's face, then flings him across the plaza. Hiro lands flat on his back, reeling in pain. The Drokhan breaks the staff into two pieces in his grip, and throws it to the ground.

Trisha leaps at Dorutan with a spinning strike, but the large creature leaps away, dodging the attack. She follows up with a flurry of quick slashes, but the Drokhan blocks each blow with his armored gauntlets. Eventually, Dorutan knocks Trisha's sword away and delivers a strong punch to her chest. He then grabs Trisha by her arms and legs, lifts her over his head, and slams her down over his knee, breaking her back, killing her instantly. Having finished Trisha off, Dorutan throws her to the ground.

"Trisha!" Hiro and Kenji cry out in unison

"You're gonna pay, you freak!" Kenji yells

Kenji rushes forward at Dorutan and swings his nunchaku. Dorutan shields himself with his arms as Kenji attacked with several quick blows. Eventually, the large Drokhan lets out a loud roar which knocks Kenji back, throwing his guard off. He then holds out his arms and spins around, smacking Kenji multiple times. Dorutan rams into Kenji with a shoulder charge and delivers a punch to his stomach, cracking his ribs, making him lurch forward. While Kenji was reeling from the fierce blow, Dorutan grabs him by his neck and headbutts him, shattering his skull and jaw. He then kicks Kenji in the chest, sending him staggering back and collapsing onto the ground. With Kenji down, Dorutan jumps down on his stomach and grabs both his arms and legs, ripping them all off at once.

"Kenji!" Hiro cries out

Hiro looked over to his left and saw that his master wasn't doing so well either. Malistare had the old man all worn down. Now, he was ready to finish him off. Wulong tried to hit Malistare with a punch, but he just knocks it away. He then went for a chop at Malistare's head, but the Shadow Priest caught his hand and countered with a chop of his own to his neck. He then grabbed the old man's leg and brought his elbow down on his knee, breaking it. Malistare knocked Wulong back with a kick to the chest and unclipped his amulet from his belt. The Shadow Priest thrusts the amulet forward, hitting the elderly man with purple blast of dark magic, leaving a gaping, glowing hole in his chest. Master Wulong fell backwards onto the ground and was dead.

"Master!" Hiro cries out

Looking behind him, Hiro saw that Trisha and Kenji were also dead. A burning rage began to build up in Hiro's body as he saw the dead bodies of his master and his two friends. He rose up onto his feet and leapt straight at Dorutuan with a flying punch, letting out a battle cry.

"Rrrrraaaaahhhhh!" Hiro yells

Just as Hiro was about to throw his punch, Dorutan punches him first, landing a direct hit to his chest. He then grabs him by his chest and slams him into the ground, damaging his skull, ribs, and spine. With Hiro badly weakened, Dorutan lifts him up and rips his body vertically in half.

Hiro, Trisha, and Kenji were all dead. Dorutan stood over their bodies and roared out in victory, having defeated his opponents.  
The Drokhan was soon joined by the Shadow Priest, Malistare, who had an evil smile on his face.

Solana slammed her bow down on the last remaining Shadow Heartless and Keili'tey sliced the last Rhokutan's throat with his dagger. Both had finished off their group of Heartless and Rhokutans. Then, they saw the Monstrosity, Uromos, and infront of them.

" _Kawng ioang!_ ( _Evil beast!_ ) You will not destroy our home!" Keili'tey says

"None can stop me. Now you will die!" Uromos says

Solana notched an arrow in her bow and fired at Uromos, but the arrow merely bounced off his chest with no effect. Keili'tey rushed forward at Uromos and leapt up at him with his dagger, only to be swatted away by the monster's arm. Uromos jumped up into the air and fell back down towards Solana and Keili'tey who leapt away just as the large monster stomped his feet down. The whole ground shook violently as Uromos smashed down on the earth, leaving cracks all around him.

Keili'tey charges at Uromos and leapt up at the monster with a slash at his neck. Uromos leaned his body back a bit, making the hunter miss. The monstrosity drew his right-arm back and threw a punch at Keili'tey who slid underneath in between his legs and jumped onto his back. Uromos tried to shake Keili'tey off him, but the hunter held on tight. Eventually, Uromos managed to grab hold of Keili'tey and yanked him off his back, grabbing him by his leg. With the hunter now in his grip, Uromos smashes him face-first into the ground. Dragging Keili'tey back, the monstrosity lifts him up and smashes him down again, this time on his back. He then tosses Keili'tey away, sending him rolling across the ground. The hunter soon came to a stop, laying flat on his stomach.

With Keili'tey left battered and beaten, Uromos wraps two of his tentacles behind his back around the hunter's arms, lifting him up infront of him. He then brutally claps his large hands together, crushing Keili'tey's head in an explosion of gore. Uromos releases Keili'tey's headless body, letting it fall on it's back. Solana was horrified upon seeing the death of her soul mate.

"Keili!" Solana cries out

Now with rage boiling in her blood, Solana rushes forward at Uromos with her bow. She leaps up and whacks the side of the monster's face with her bow, but to no effect. Uromos hardly felt the blow and he gave the jungle princess an angry glare. Solana went to strike Uromos again, but he grabs hold of her arm and twisted it, making a sick crunching sound. Solana cried out in agonizing pain, dropping the bow in her hand. Uromos delivered a punch to Solana's face with his other hand, then struck her with the back of his fist, sending Solana flying back across the ground. The large monster glanced down at the bow lying at his feet and stomped his left-foot on it, smashing it to pieces.

Solana was badly bruised by Uromos' punches. Her body stung in pain as she tried to get back up. But before the jungle princess could react, Uromos punches her in the stomach with a fierce blow, then punches her again in the face, knocking her back down to the ground. The monster began walking towards Solana, ready to finish her off while she backed away in fear. When he reached her, Uromos stomped his left-foot down on her stomach, making her cry out in pain. Leaning down, the monster grabbed the jungle princess by her throat and began pulling up, stretching her body. Solana screamed in agonizing pain as the monster stretched her body. With all the might of his strength, Uromos tore Solana's body in half, ripping her torso from her body, killing her instantly. Holding up Solana's bleeding torso, Uromos let out a roar in victory.

The slaughter in the plaza was complete. All the brave warriors who stood to defend their home were killed. Only a few guards were left to defend themselves, but their fate was all but sealed as the villains turned on them next. Nicole and Katie saw what had happened to the rest of the heroes and what was happening to the guards and they were horrified.

"They're dead... I can't believe they're dead..." Katie sobs

"They never stood a chance." Nicole says

"Riley... Danny..." Katie sobs

"Katie, we can't stay here anymore. It's too dangerous. We need to get away from here, to safety. It's what our boyfriends would've wanted." Nicole says

The two female saurians began sneaking their way out of the plaza, but they were soon spotted by Kalruka and a few of his Rhokutan warriors.

"Hey! Over there!" Kalruka yells

Having been spotted, Nicole and Katie screamed out in terror.

"Come on! Run! Run!" Nicole yells

The two saurians made a run for it, heading out of the town.

"Get those two!" Kalruka shouts pointing at the two female saurians

Five Rhokutans ran in pursuit of the two saurians. Heading out the main gate of the town, Nicole and Katie ran as fast as they could, trying to get away from their pursuers. They managed to make it out into the open neighborhood until one of the Rhokutans threw a pair of bolas which wrapped around Katie's legs, causing her to fall.

"Ah!" Katie screams

"Katie!" Nicole cries out

Nicole quickly turned around and went back to her friend. She helped Katie untie the bolas around her legs. But by the time Katie was free, they were immediately surrounded by Rhokutans. Nicole and Katie huddled in fear as the mutants closed in on them. Then, two of the Rhokutans in the group made way as Kalruka and his bodyguards approached. The general glared down at the female saurians as they stared back at him.

"You two will make fine slaves for the Dark Lord. Take them!" Kalruka says

With that, the Rhokutans grabbed Nicole and Katie, pulling them up to their feet and taking them away.

Back in the metropolis, Lord Drazor and the other villains were just finishing off the last of the guards. Lord Drazor had the last remaining guard down on the stumps of his legs after he had sliced them off with his Dark Keyblade. With one swift stroke, he slices the guard's head clean off his shoulders, leaving the rest of the body to fall down to the ground. After the guards were dealt with, Lord Thanatos approached the Dark Knight.

 **"COME. WE MUST FIND THE KEYBLADE MASTER AND HER SON."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Drazor loyally obeyed and he followed his master as they set out to search and destroy.

Shara was still running through the neighborhood with Devon in her arms with Krysia following close behind with Ty in her mouth while the Forces of Darkness flooded the town, slaying all in their path, leaving a trail of death and destruction. Suddenly, a pair of bolas wraps itself around Krysia's legs, causing her to fall and drop her young hatchling. Shara slid to a stop and turned to see Krysia get brought down.

"Krysia!" Shara cries out

"Mommy!" Ty cries out

Kaejo appears around Krysia, wielding one of his Butterfly Knives in his right-hand. It turned out he was the one who threw the bolas at Krysia.

"Heh heh. Going somewhere?" Kaejo says

"Ty! Run!" Krysia shouts

"Shut your trap!" Kaejo says

Kaejo plunges his knife into the left-side of Krysia's ribs, making her roar out in pain. Ty couldn't stand to see his mother suffer.

"Leave my mom alone!" Ty yells

The little dragon ran at Kaejo and clamped his teeth down on his left-leg, making him cry out in pain.

"Argh! You little rat!" Kaejo says

Kaejo grabbed Ty by his throat and held him tightly. Krysia had already lost too much blood from her wound. And so, she died right on the spot, right infront of the female Keyblade Master and the two young children.

"No! Mommy!" Ty cries out

The young dragon hatchling struggled in Kaejo's grip, but could not free himself. Kaejo looks toward Shara and Devon with an evil smirk on his face.

"You're next, Shara. All of your friends are already dead. Your husband ain't here to save you anymore. Face it. It's over. You and your little brat are gonna die here." Kaejo says

"I don't think so, Kaejo." Shara says

Shara gripped her right-hand into a fist, then slowly opened it up, conjuring a bright, blue orb of light in her palm. She soon threw it down to the ground and the orb exploded in a flash of blinding light, causing Kaejo to shield his eyes. While he was blinded, Shara made a run for their house while Devon called out to Ty who was still in Kaejo's grip.

"Ty!" Devon cries out stretching his right-hand out to his best friend

Having escaped Kaejo, Shara and Devon took shelter in their home as the carnage continued outside. The female Keyblade Master quickly shut the front door and put his son down on the other side of the living room.

"Mommy, what's happening?!" Devon asks

"Shh. Stay close, Devon." Shara says holding Devon close to her while looking back outside

"Mom, I'm scared." Devon says feeling frightened

"Don't worry, Devon. I'll protect you." Shara says

Outside, Lord Thanatos and Lord Drazor walked through the neighborhood as the Forces of Darkness laid siege to it. All of the houses surrounding them was already destroyed. All except one. The house at the very end of the road. With his sights set on the house, Lord Thanatos began his approach with Lord Drazor following him.

Inside, there was a loud bang outside the house which caught Shara and Devon's attention.

"What was that?" Devon asks scared

Before they could do anything, the door to the house was blown open, revealing Lord Thanatos and Lord Drazor. Shara moved her son behind her and summoned her Keyblade: Faithful Salvation into her right-hand to defend them from the evil villains.

 **"I KNEW YOU AND YOUR SON WOULD BE HIDING HERE IN YOUR PRECIOUS HOME, SHARA. YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD ESCAPE THE COMING DARKNESS AND HIDE AWAY FROM THE DARK LORD'S GAZE IN THE SAFETY OF YOUR WORLD, BUT ALL YOU HAVE DONE IS ONLY DELAYED THE INEVITABLE. ONCE YOU ARE BOTH DEAD, NOTHING WILL PREVENT THE DARK LORD FROM CLAIMING POWER OVER KINGDOM HEARTS. AND THEN, THE UNIVERSE WILL BE OURS TO RULE AS WE SEE FIT."** Lord Thanatos says walking toward the female Keyblade Master and her son

"No, Lord Thanatos. As long as there is light, there will always be hope for the universe. There will always be others to stand against you and the Dark Lord! You may have taken my husband, but you will not have my son! I will fight you if I must!" Shara says

Lord Thanatos gave Shara an evil smile.

 **"WHAT HOPE DO YOU THINK THERE IS FOR THE UNIVERSE?"** Lord Thanatos taunts

The Dark Keyblade Master stretched his right-hand out to the large window on his right, gesturing to the destruction of the world.

 **"JUST LOOK OUT YOUR WINDOW. YOUR WORLD BURNS. DESTRUCTION LIES EVERYWHERE. AND ALL YOUR FRIENDS ARE DEAD. YOU BROUGHT THIS DOOM UPON THEM. AND NOW, YOU AND YOUR SON WILL SHARE THE SAME FATE THAT HAS ALREADY BEFALLEN YOUR WORLD."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Drazor steps forward and grips his right-hand into a fist. Before the Dark Keyblade Master could make his move, Shara pushes Devon away, sending him over to the left. Devon tumbles over and fell down on his stomach. Lord Drazor thrusts his hand forward, throwing Shara against the wall behind her with telekinetic force. Shara slammed against the wall so hard that it left a big cracked hole. She fell down flat on the floor and winced in pain.

The Dark Knight approached the fallen mother and lifted her up by her throat, holding her right up to his level.

 **"YOU MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STAND AGAINST ME IN THE PAST, SHARA, BUT NO LONGER. MUCH TIME HAS PASSED SINCE OUR FIGHT IN THE KEYBLADE GRAVEYARD. AND SINCE THEN, I HAVE GROWN EVER STRONGER. SO HAS LORD DRAZOR."** Lord Thanatos says

In that moment, Lord Drazor gripped his left-hand into a fist and began punching Shara senseless with his brute strength and power. The female Keyblade Master suffered each blow that was thrown at her. The blows on her were so hard that they actually made bloody spots on Shara's head. Devon could only watch helplessly as his mother was viciously beaten right infront of him.

Once he was finished, Lord Drazor releases his grip on Shara, letting her fall down on her back. He then raises his right-foot up and stomps it down hard on Shara's stomach, pinning her to the floor. Shara gasped in pain and her body jerked upward as the dark being's foot came down on her. She coughed a mouthful of blood, making it splatter on her chest. Shara was in a lot of pain. She tried to free herself from Lord Drazor's hold on her, but to no avail. All the damage he inflicted on her made her too weak to fight.

 **"HOW PITIFUL. WHERE WAS ALL THE POWER YOUR KEYBLADE PROVIDED YOU? WHERE IS YOUR PRECIOUS LIGHT NOW? DO YOU SEE? IT IS OVER, SHARA. YOUR TIME HAS PASSED. YOU HAVE COME FAR ON YOUR JOURNEY, BUT NOW THIS IS THE END."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Drazor summoned his Dark Keyblade: Fear's Shadow into hand, gripped it with both hands and turned it over so that the blade was pointing down at Shara. As the Dark Knight prepared to finish her off, Shara looked over at her son while he looked back at her. They both shared their terrified expressions with each other. What was about to happen next would change their lives forever.

 **"FAREWELL, SHARA, KEYBLADE MASTER OF LIGHT. MAY YOUR SOUL DWELL IN THE DEPTHS OF DARKNESS FOREVER!"** Lord Thanatos yells

Within moments, Lord Drazor brought his Dark Keyblade down on Shara, stabbing her right through the heart. Shara's eyes widened as she felt the fatal blow. Devon watched with widened eyes full of shock. Shara sighs her last breath and closes her eyes as the life fled from her body. The female Keyblade Master, Shara was now dead.

Devon looked at his dead mother with tears forming in his eyes. First, he lost his father. Now, his mother was gone too. He was all alone. The last of his family. Unable to hold back the grief in his heart, Devon broke down and wept over the loss of his mother.

"Mommy!" Devon cries out

Lord Thanatos looked over at Devon and glared at him with an evil smile. Lord Drazor removed his Dark Keyblade from the fallen Keyblade Master's body, leaving a large, gaping hole in her body and a pool of blood on the floor. The two Dark Keyblade Masters approached the heart-broken child until they were only a few feet away from each other. The young child and Dark Keyblade Masters stared at each other. Lord Thanatos removes the hood, revealing his face to Devon.

 **"SO YOUNG. SO UNFORMED. SO MUCH LIGHT IN ONE SMALL CHILD. I MAY HAVE LET YOU LIVE BEFORE, BUT I WILL NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE TWICE. NO ONE CAN HELP YOU NOW. THERE'S NOWHERE TO RUN AND NOWHERE TO HIDE."** Lord Thanatos says

Lord Drazor stepped up and took hold of his Dark Keyblade with both hands. He slowly raised it over his head.

 **"NOW, IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO JOIN YOUR MOTHER IN DEATH."** Lord Thanatos says

Just as Lord Drazor was about to deliver the final death blow, a mysterious figure appears in a flash of blinding light infront of Devon. It was The Inheritor.

 **"YOU..."** Lord Thanatos growls

Lord Drazor raises his Dark Keyblade over his shoulder and swings it at the Inheritor who quickly summons his Keyblade and blocks the attack. The Inheritor swings the Dark Keyblade away, then sends Lord Drazor flying out of the house with an uppercut slash, sending him smashing through the ceiling, creating a large hole in the roof.

 **"YOU ARE TOO LATE TO SAVE THIS WORLD. IT IS ALREADY LOST."** Lord Thanatos says

 _ **"Maybe so. But the Keyblade's chosen remains under my protection. You may have killed Shara, but you will not have her son."**_ The Inheritor says

Lord Thanatos summons his Dark Keyblade: Harbinger of Shadows and moves to strike. Before he could reach them, The Inheritor pulls both his arms back, then thrusts them forward, sending Lord Thanatos flying out of the front door of the house with a strong telekinetic blast.

With the two dark beings dealt with, the Inheritor de-summons his Keyblade and turns to Devon's mother, Shara, who laid dead on the floor.

 _ **"I'm sorry, Shara. I was too late to save you. May your soul rest in peace."**_ The Inheritor says

Holding his right-hand out, he changes her lifeless body into blue wisps and she fades away. The holy being then turns to the young child who looked up at him.

 ** _"Come. I will take you to safety."_** The Inheritor says

The Inheritor lowers down and offers his hand to Devon who was hesitant at first. But after seeing the kind being had saved his life, the young boy took hold of his hand. The two headed out of the house and down to the beach where the white dragoness, Vervada, was waiting for them. The Inheritor lifted Devon onto Vervada's back, then mounted himself. With both passengers on board, the white dragoness took off into the air. Devon held on tight to Vervada's neck as the ground beneath got smaller. The Inheritor placed his right-arm around the young boy's body as they flew higher. A bright light enveloped the trio as they entered the night sky, then they took off like a shooting star, leaving the Celestial Realm behind.

Down on the ground, Lord Thanatos watched as The Inheritor and Vervada took off into the Lanes Between with Devon safe in their care. Again, the child had slipped through his fingers. The dark being growled in anger, clenching his fist tightly. Lord Drazor caught up with his master who did not bother to look back at him.

 **"BURN THIS WORLD TO THE GROUND. DESTROY EVERYTHING. LEAVE NOTHING STANDING. AND LEAVE NONE ALIVE."** Lord Thanatos says

( _Lushfield_ )

And so, the Forces of Darkness began it's wave of terror across the Celestial Realm, starting with the farming community of Lushfield. The wooden houses and buildings in the village was all lit in flames. Even the Walton farm was on fire. Besides the invading force that was already here, more creatures of darkness were brought into the slaughter. One was a group of vile creatures called Dretches.

Dretches were creatures of the Realm of Darkness that craved blood and living flesh. They had small, hunched bodies, pointed ears, four-digit claws and feet, glowing red eyes, and a mouth full of razor sharp teeth.

Another creature that joined in the destruction of the village were monstrous dogs known as Hellhounds

Hellhounds were essentially deadly, aggressive zombie-dogs that resembled resemble badly deformed German Shepherds. They had glowing red eyes, black patches of fur, bony muzzles, and flaming bodies which exposed bloody parts of their back and ribcage.

Groups of Dretches swept through the village, attacking the residents that lived there. Each of them let out a horrid, extremely high-pitched scream as they leapt onto their victims, clawing and biting faces off, tearing them to shreds. Packs of Hellhounds tackled their victims to the ground, biting them repeatingly until they were dead.

At the Walton Farm, the house was already on fire. The sheep that were in the nearby field ran for their lives as packs of Hellhounds chased them down. Tillie was in the field, trying to defend the sheep from the zombie dogs. She attacked one of the Hellhounds, biting down at it's neck, making it yelp out in pain. The zombie dog exploded in a puff of flame and smoke. Sensing one of their own had fallen, some of the Hellhounds attacked Tillie while the others continued attacking the sheep. One managed to bite down on Tillie's back, causing her to yelp in pain. Another one bit down at her hind leg, making her fall to the ground. Tillie was soon brought down and killed by the Hellhounds.

The barn house where the farm animals were kept was also on fire. Inside, the animals were trapped, squealing and whinnying in panic. The front entrance to the barn house was blocked by a bunch of flaming debris. Elona was with her mother, whinnying as the building burned around them. The panicked cries of the animals was soon silenced as the barn house collapsed on top of them.

As the rest of the village burned, all that was left was the large oak tree in the center. The birds that were roosted in their nests quickly flew away as the evil forces closed in on the tree. The black dragon, Ragnarok, breathed in and unleashed a stream of flames which set the oak tree ablaze. Groups of Orcs took some ropes and lassoed them onto the big tree. Pulling with all their might, they ripped the tree off it's roots and it fell over to the side with a loud thud.

The destruction of Lushfield was complete and so the Forces of Darkness moved on to their next destination.

( _Seashore Port_ )

A few Orcs threw bombs into some of the buildings in the sea-side town. Those who were inside these buildings were either vaporized in the explosions or blasted out of windows.

The surviving sailors fled out to sea on their boats, escaping the carnage on the shore. However, not even the sea was safe. Black boats full of Rhokutans, Orcs, and Heartless pursued the fleeing ships, firing cannonballs at them. The sailors who were onboard their ships never stood a chance. And so, they jumped overboard while their ships sunk into the water. Not even the waters would save them. Packs of monstrous Sharks swam toward the helpless sailors and dragged them underwater, bringing them down into the deep, dark waters. These sharks had dark grey skin and glowing red eyes which made them look even more fearsome.

Besides the Sharks that were terrorizing the sailors, there was another monstrous creature swimming in the waters. The large creature emerged from the sea, revealing it's presence to the nearby ships. It was a Dark Hydra, a monstrous sea creature of the Realm of Darkness.

The Dark Hydra was a massive sea serpent that had dark grey skin, glowing red eyes, blood-red frills on the sides of it's head, and a mouth full of sharp teeth.

The monstrous serpentine reared it's head back and let out a loud, screeching roar. Then, it began devouring the sailors who were floating above the water's surface. It even targeted some remaining ships that the Forces of Darkness had yet to destroy. Using it's jaws, the Dark Hydra tore apart the last few ships, killing some sailors in the process.

Soon, all the ships were destroyed and the sea was littered with dead bodies.

( _City of Zaharus_ )

Rejan was out in the Zaharus Desert with his fellow warriors, standing their ground as the Forces of Darkness crossed the dunes toward the city. They were badly outnumbered, but they would not surrender. Together, on their horses, they charged toward the opposing army. Within moments, the two sides clashed.

As predicted, Rejan and his warriors were being slaughtered. Rejan rode through his horse, slicing the heads off two Orcs in his path. Suddenly, the black dragon, Ragnarok, landed infront of the warrior, stopping him in his tracks. Rejan's horse reared back and whinnied in fright, throwing Rejan off it's saddle. Ragnarok made short work of the horse with his jaws, bringing his sharp teeth down on it's neck, silencing it's whinnies instantly.

Rejan got up onto his feet and saw Ragnarok growling at him. He took out his sword and held it infront of him, ready to fight the dragon. But then, he turned around and saw Lord Drazor walk toward him with his Dark Keyblade drawn.

Rejan attacked first, swinging his blade left and right at Lord Drazor who blocked each blow with little effort. The desert warrior raised his sword over his head and swung it down at the Dark Knight who held up his Dark Keyblade with just one hand, putting the two in a brief blade-lock. Lord Drazor swung Rejan's sword away and delivered two punches to his head, then kicked him back. Catching him off guard, Lord Drazor hits Rejan with a left diagonal slash, slicing him across the chest, then spins his Dark Keyblade around and finishes him with a right uppercut slash, slicing his neck open. Rejan froze and dropped his sword into the sand. Then, he fell down on his back and was dead.

With Rejan dead, the last remaining warriors tried to flee, but were quickly brought down and killed.

Having dealt with Rejan and his warriors, the Forces of Darkness smashed through the main gate and flooded into the city, killing any who stood in their path. A man and a woman were chased down a dark alleyway only to meet a dead end. They turned around and saw a group of Bando Gora stalking toward them, hissing and growling. Soon, they met their ends and all that was heard from the alleyway was their dying screams. All the stalls in the Grand Bazaar were torn down, flipped over, and destroyed.

Uromos tore a large chunk of stone off a nearby building and hurled it at another building, reducing it to rubble. The large monstrosity soon laid his gaze on the Celestial Obelisk in the center of the city. He stomped over to the ancient relic and destroyed it's base with just a swing of his arm. The obelisk fell over to the side and crumbled to bits upon impact with the ground.

Soon, the entire city of Zaharus was nothing more than a gigantic pile of rubble. It was now a ruined city.

( _Crystal Caves_ )

Deep below in the underground city of Crystal Caves, the dwarves, dragons, saurians, and humans fought bravely as the Forces of Darkness flowed out of the tunnels. The dwarves fought with war hammers and battle axes. The dragons fought using their fire, earth, ice, and electric breaths in their own fights. The saurians fought their bare hands and teeth. And the humans fought using swords, war hammers, and battle axes. Despite their bravery, the resistance stood no chance. They were badly outnumbered and were eventually overwhelmed. Some of the workers ran for the exit only for it to be blocked off by a wall of rocks that collapsed from the ceiling.

Lord Drazor cut down a dwarf with his Dark Keyblade, then glanced up at the large crystal which illuminated the cave. He stretched his left-hand up toward the crystal in a gripping motion. The crystal began to crack apart and chunks of it fell on the city, crashing down on the huts and buildings below. The Dark Knight soon clenched his hand into a fist and the entire crystal shattered into pieces. The cave went almost completely dark. Only the dim glow of the crystal stands scattered throughout the city and the crystal studs in the walls kept the cave illuminated, but not so much now that the large one was destroyed.

In the Glittering Cave, workers were thrown from the highest level of the cave and were sent plummeting hundreds of feet to their demise at the bottom. The cave echoed with their screams as they fell.

Having finished their work in the underground region, the Forces of Darkness rose back up to the surface, emerging from the west exit of the tunnel network, heading into the bamboo forest toward their next destination. None of the residents of Crystal Caves who had fallen to this evil never saw the light of day again.

( _Skypeak Village_ )

The small village at the foot of the mountain was lit up in flames as the Forces of Darkness destroyed everything in their path. The villagers were all dead. And the stalls and buildings were burned down into rubble. The evil army continued it's path of destruction up the mountain toward Skypeak Village.

Once they reached it, they came upon the tall gate that denied them entry. But it would not be standing for long as Lord Drazor stood at the head of the dark army. The Dark Knight pulled his left-arm back, then thrust his hand out, blowing the doors open with a powerful telekinetic blast. The villagers screamed in terror as the Forces of Darkness swarmed the village.

Now all that was left was the Luminous Village to the south-west part of the island.

( _Luminous Jungle_ )

The jungle was no longer illuminated by the colorful, bioluminescent light of the exotic plants. Instead, it was illuminated by the fiery light of the flames that consumed everything. The animals that lived in the jungle all fled for their lives, trying to escape the fires, filling the jungle with their distressed cries. A group of large Behemoth Heartless bulldozed their way through jungle, knocking trees down with ease, clearing the path for the Forces of Darkness.

Orutikan and dozens of hunters stood at the front entrance of the Hometree, ready to defend their people and their home. Some of the hunters were mounted on the backs of Direhorses while others stood on the ground with spears. Soon, the Forces of Darkness came into view, emerging from the burning jungle.

" _Munge Ikran! 'Eko ta'em!_ ( _Take the Banshees! Attack from above!_ )" Orutikan says in his native language to a nearby hunter

The hunter nods his head and runs back toward the roots of the Hometree with some his fellow warriors following him.

As the evil army charged toward them, Orutikan called out to his archers.

" _Alaksi swizav!_ ( _Ready arrows!_ )" Orutikan yells

The hunters each notched an arrow into their longbows and took aim at the approaching army.

" _Txep!_ ( _Fire!_ )" Orutikan yells

The hunters bravely fire their arrows into the air with their longbows. They manage to bring some of their numbers down, but not a lot. As the Forces of Darkness got closer, the hunters and warriors resorted to their daggers and spears. Both sides clashed in an epic struggle. The battle was vicious. Despite their bravery, the warriors of the Tsuwaticaya clan were being slaughtered. The battle quickly turned into a massacre as the Forces of Darkness immediately got the upperhand.

Orutikan rushed forward at Lord Drazor with a wooden staff in his hands, letting out a war cry. Just as he swung his staff, Lord Drazor stretched his left-hand out and stopped the attack. The tip of the staff came only inches at Lord Drazor's face. The Dark Knight swung his Dark Keyblade and broke the staff in two, leaving Orutikan defenseless. Lord Drazor grabbed hold of the patriarch by his throat and held him off the ground. Orutikan choked and gagged in the dark being's grip. Within moments, Lord Drazor drove his Dark Keyblade through Orutikan's body, killing him instantly. He then dropped Orutikan's body to the ground, leaving a hole in his chest.

In the air, thousands of Wyvern Heartless take flight as they prepare to strike the Hometree. Leading the Heartless was the black dragon, Ragnarok. He opens his mouth and shoots a fireball down at the tree. The Heartless follow the dark dragon's lead and they shoot a barrage of fireballs at the tree, aiming for the roots of the tree. The base of the Hometree was bombarded by a chain of large explosive blasts. The massive roots break into pieces like matchsticks.

Inside, the Hometree was burning in a blazing inferno. The villagers pour out of the Hometree, running along it's roots and branches, screaming and panicking. The flames roar up the inside like a chimney. Ka'eyla was inside at the base of the Hometree, trying to help her people escape to safety. She was about to leave herself when she stopped and turned toward the wall of fire infront of her. From the flames emerged Lord Drazor with his Dark Keyblade drawn. The spiritual woman froze in horror as the Dark Knight approached her. Before she could react, Lord Drazor knocks Ka'eyla down to the ground with a kick to her stomach, making her fall down onto her right-side. As the woman crawls away, the Dark Knight stomps his foot down on her chest, pinning her down. He then turns his Dark Keyblade over and stabs her in the chest, piercing her directly in the heart. Ka'eyla instantly died from the blow.

High up in the tree, the hunters from earlier quickly climb up the tree, leaping from spoke to spoke, barely ahead of the fire.

The surviving members of the Tsuwaticaya clan watch in horror as the Hometree starts to groan and move slowly. The people quickly fled as the tree slowly falls toward them. At the top of the Hometree, the hunters quickly mount their Banshees and take flight. They swoop among the branches as the tree moves and make it out of the tree, but were quickly brought down by the Heartless. Eventually, the massive tree comes crashing down through the forest canopy, crushing the lesser trees in its path. Within moments, the Hometree hits the ground, kicking up a gigantic cloud of dust and pulverized debris, crushing dozens of the clan members in the process.

( _Starlight Town_ )

The destruction of the Celestial Realm was now complete. The lands that were once green was now barren. Most of it's people were slain while some were taken prisoner as slaves. The metropolis that was once bustling with people was now a graveyard full of dead corpses. Cedric, Darel, Infernius, Danny, Riley, Bruno, Zartus, Grothar, Master Wulong, Hiro, Trisha, Kenji, Solana, and Keili'tey. All of them had fallen. Outside the town, Nicole, Katie, Farmer Walton, Elaine, Edward Keelhaul, Jim Phillips, Sahab, Bulam, Mita, and a few others were all chained up in a line, being escorted by Luxia, Eyra, Malistare, Kalruka, Kaejo, Dorutan, Uromos, and Zurac along with a few Rhokutans, Orcs, and Bando Gora soldiers toward a corridor of darkness, making their way back to the Realm of Darkness. Lord Thanatos and Lord Drazor watched as the poor slaves entered the dark portal one by one.

 **"WE WILL FIND YOU AGAIN, CHILD OF LIGHT. THE DARKNESS SHALL FOLLOW YOU WHEREVER YOU GO. AND WHEN WE DO FIND YOU, YOU SOUL WILL BURN!"** Lord Thanatos says in his thoughts

Lord Thanatos walked into the dark corridor and disappeared into the darkness. Lord Drazor began walking toward the black portal, following his master. Just as he was about to head in, the Dark Keyblade Wielder stopped and turned to his left, looking at the burning house that was once his home. Having stared at it long enough, Lord Drazor turned and stepped into the dark portal, returning to the Realm of Darkness.

All that was left in the destroyed world was sucked up into the dark void overhead by powerful gale winds. The dead corpses, the ruined remains of buildings, everything. Soon, the Celestial Realm was consumed by the darkness, disappearing forever from the Realm of Light.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** The night of fate has arrived. The Celestial Realm has been invaded by the Forces of Darkness! All of the OCs and the world I've worked so hard to create are now dead, including Shara herself. Oh, the humanity! So now, Devon is all that is left. What will happen to him now? We shall find out in the next chapter which will be the last one that finally finishes the Birth By Sleep story. And did anyone see the trailer for Kingdom Hearts 3? We finally have the year for it's release. Now, we just have to find out what the date will be. Anyway, it's time we wrap this up. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


	53. Reconnect Kingdom Hearts

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor  & respect their great works.

* * *

( _The Lanes Between_ )

The Inheritor and Vervada were flying in the Lanes Between with Devon having escaped the invasion of the Celestial Realm. The young boy was sleeping peacefully on the white dragoness' back thanks to a sleep spell The Inheritor cast on him to help calm the child after all the chaos that had happened.

"The Dark Lord knew that Devon and his mother would return to the Celestial Realm. He must've had spies there." Vervada says

 _ **"It was only a matter of time until the Dark Lord sensed that Devon was back in the Celestial Realm."**_ The Inheritor says

"All those poor people. The Dark Lord will pay for this madness!" Vervada says growling slightly

 _ **"Calm yourself, Vervada. We need to bring the Keyblade's chosen one somewhere the Dark Lord won't sense his presence."**_ The Inheritor says

The holy being looked around for a world that would be a good place for Devon to live in. His eyes soon laid on the world known as Destiny Islands.

 _ **"There."**_ The Inheritor says

With their sights now set for Destiny Islands, The Inheritor and Vervada headed towards their destination.

( _Destiny Islands_ )

The trio arrive at the beaches of Destiny Islands, near the mainland. It was night time and the stars were shining beautifully. The waves flowed gently on the beach.

They looked around to find a family that would adopt the young child. Their search brought them to a small house that was just off the beach. The Inheritor decided that he should try there. Vervada lowered down gently and the Inheritor climbed off. He took the sleeping boy in his arms and walked toward the house.

The house was made with white wood. It had a brown shingled roof, a front door that had an oval shaped crystal glass window, and a large window alongside the door.

The holy being came up to the door and knocked three times. The door soon opened, revealing an elderly woman and an middle-aged man who answered the door. These two were named Katherine and Richard.

Katherine was a gentle, selfless, 50-year old woman with a usually pleasant smile.

She had white hair with some grey streaks, slicked back.

She wore a navy blue dress with light blue flowers decorating it.

Richard was a kind, caring 55-year old tall man with dark grey hair, slicked back, and a moustache.

He wore cargo pants, black shoes, and a pale blue buttoned shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

When the two elderly people both saw the Inheritor, they were confused as to why he had a child in his arms.

"Oh. How can we help you?" Katherine asks

 ** _"I come to you with a request. This child has lost his mother and father and is in need of a family. I humbly ask that you find it in your hearts to care for this boy who has no one and raise him as our own."_** The Inheritor says

The two elderly people were shocked to hear that Devon was an orphan. A child who had no family. They felt sad for the young boy and they gladly accepted The Inheritor's request.

"Of course, good sir. He will be very welcome in our home." Katherine says

Richard took the young boy from The Inheritor's arms and he nodded his head to the holy being. After taking the child, the elderly people went inside their home. Having completed his task, The Inheritor turned and walked towards Vervada who was hiding behind some large rocks nearby. The white dragoness moved out from her hiding place and lowered herself down to the holy being, letting him climb onto her back. The two looked at the house one last time before taking off.

 _ **"Good luck, young Child of the Stars. May the light of Kingdom Hearts shine in your heart."**_ The Inheritor says

With that said, The Inheritor and Vervada took off into the night sky, returning to the Celestial Palace. But always they would keep a watchful eye on the young child.

( _Several days later_ )

It was a beautiful morning as the sun rose up over the sea's horizon, the waters glittering with it's gentle light. Devon was now living happily with his Aunt Katherine or Kathey as he called her and his Uncle Richard who he calls Richie. The house was very nice looking. The layout was nice too.

Straight from the front door was the kitchen. It had a stainless steel refrigerator against the wall in the back of the room and a small glass table on the other side to the right of the entrance with four metal chairs, two on both ends. Next to the refrigerator was the stainless steel sink on the left with a grey marble counter which had two draws. The one on the left housed all the steel forks, spoons, and knives while the other one housed all the other kitchen utensils. Two cupboards hung over the marble counter, holding all the dishes, bowls, glass cups, and mugs. The stove and oven was placed on the left-side of the kitchen, near the front entrance. The kitchen also had a medium-sized rectangular window that overlooked the backyard which was accessed from a sliding glass door to the left.

Left from the front door was the Master Bedroom and the Guest Bedroom which became Devon's Bedroom, connected by a small hallway. The Master Bedroom was on the right at the end of the hall while Devon's Bedroom was to the left with a smaller hallway leading to it. In between the two rooms was the bathroom. There was also another bathroom inside the Master Bedroom.

Turning right from the front door led to the living room. Inside this room was a long black leather couch with enough room for three people to sit. The couch sat up against the wall across from the large window which had a grand view of the beach. Alongside the couch's left-side was a round side table with a ornate lamp. The table was furnished with dark brown oak wood, and a round glass piece in the center. There was also a tall grandfather clock that stood in the front-right corner of the room, near the window.

Around the corner of the living room was the dining room. Inside was a wide wooden table with a center glass piece. The table had eight chairs, three on both sides, and one on opposite ends. Hanging from the ceiling was a crystal chandelier that was abundant with diamond-shaped crystals. There was also a cabinet on the right-side of the room that had a collection of china plate dishes on display.

And finally, there was the basement which was accessed through the kitchen from a doorway on the left-side in the back of the room. The basement was wide and roomy despite the small size of the house. The main room had a wide black leather couch like the one upstairs, a black leather reclining chair to the left and right, and a big, flat screen television hung up on the wall infront. Two other rooms flanked the sides of the main room. The room on the left was the storage room which had cardboard boxes full of stuff. And the room on the right was the workshop where Richard would keep his tools for work in and out of the house. There were also four stone support beams to the house, two in the main room, one in the storage room, and one in the workshop.

"Devon, honey, come and eat your breakfast." Katherine says

"Coming, Aunt Kathey." Devon says

Young Devon came running from the hallway, going into the kitchen where Katherine had bacon and eggs on a frying pan. Richard already had his food on a plate. He had a few strips of bacon, two eggs, and some hash.

"Morning." Richard greets

"Morning, Uncle Richie." Devon greets

Devon took a seat on the glass table and awaited his food. Katherine fixed up a dish for Devon and gave it to the young boy.

"Here you go, Devon." Katherine says putting a plate of food down on the table

Devon's plate had five strips of bacon and some scrambled eggs. With his breakfast laid out for him, Devon began eating his food.

"This is great! Thank you, Aunt Kathey!" Devon says happily

"You're very welcome, Devon. Here's some juice for you." Katherine says putting a tall glass of orange juice down on the table

"Thanks." Devon says

"Did you brush your teeth before eating?" Katherine asks

"Mm-hmm." Devon says while sipping his juice

"Good." Katherine says pleased

While Devon kept eating his food, Richard had finished his and got up from his seat.

"Well, that's it for me. Thanks, Katherine. You're a great cook." Richard says

"Thanks, dear." Katherine says

Richard gave his spouse a gentle pat on the shoulder.

"I'm gonna head downstairs and work in my shop. You go have fun outside, Devon. I'll join ya in a bit." Richard says

"Okay, Uncle Richie." Devon says

With that, Richard headed down into the basement to do some work in his workshop. At the same time, Devon finished his plate.

"Finished already?" Katherine asks surprised

"Yep." Devon says

"Okay, kiddo. Go wash your hands. And then you can head outside." Katherine says

"Alright." Devon says

The young boy got down from his seat and went to the bathroom to wash his hands. Once he was finished, he went out the door to explore the world he lived in.

( _Moments later_ )

Devon was outside, casually walking down the beach until he saw three young kids running towards him. It was Sora, Riku, and Kairi, who were racing each other down the beach. When they saw Devon ahead of them, they slowed to a stop and approached him. Sora was the first to greet him.

"Hi." Sora greets waving his hand

"Hi." Devon greets waving his hand

"Sure is nice today, huh?" Sora says

"It sure is. What were you guys doing?" Devon says

"Oh, we were just playing Tag. And I won!" Sora says

Riku looked at Devon and he knew that he wasn't from this world.

"Hey. I've never seen you before. You're new around here, right?" Riku asks

"Yeah." Devon says

"Did you come from the outside world?" Riku asks

"I... I don't know. I can't remember." Devon says

"You don't remember where you grew up?" Sora asks

"No." Devon says shaking his head

"Aw, don't worry about it. Hey. Why don't you come with us to the island over there?" Sora says

Sora points toward the island out in the sea across from them.

"It's where we like to play. My dad's gonna take us there." Sora says

"Sure." Devon says

"I'm Sora."

Sora gestures over to Riku and Kairi, introducing them.

"These are my best friends, Riku and Kairi." Sora says

Devon gestured his hand to his chest and introduced himself to his new friends.

"My name's Devon. It's nice to meet you guys."

"It's nice to meet you too. I can tell we're gonna be great friends." Kairi says

"C'mon! I'll race you guys to the boat! First one there is the captain!" Sora says

"Oh, hold on. I gotta ask my Aunt Kathey and Uncle Richie. I can't go taking off somewhere without letting them know." Devon says

With that, Devon ran back to his home while Sora went to go get his dad with Riku and Kairi following close behind.

Devon soon reached his home and went inside to find his aunt and uncle. He found Katherine tending to the dishes in the kitchen, cleaning them up with soap and water.

"Aunt Kathey!" Devon calls

Katherine stopped what she was doing and she looked back at Devon.

"Oh, hi, Devon. I never thought you'd be back already." Katherine says

"I made some new friends." Devon says

"Oh, that's nice. What are their names?" Katherine says

"Sora, Riku, and Kairi. They asked me if I can go play with them. Can I go?" Devon asks

Katherine looked at Devon with a gentle smile on her face.

"Of course, sweetheart. Go have fun with your new friends. I'll be sure to tell your uncle. And I'll make sure he'll pick you up later." Katherine says

"Thanks!" Devon says

The young boy gave his aunt a quick hug, then went to go tell his new friends who were waiting outside.

"They said I can go!" Devon says

"Great! My dad's waiting on the boat. C'mon! I'll race ya!" Sora says

"You're on, Sora!" Devon says

With that, the four children raced each other down the beach to the docks. From that day forward, Devon spent everyday with his three friends, playing with them every chance he got. His heart and his destiny was now intertwined with theirs.

However, since the Invasion of the Celestial Realm, Devon had forgotten all about the Keyblade, his friends, his family, and his homeworld. The Celestial Realm had fallen to the darkness, never to surface again. And now everything falls into place.

( _Elsewhere_ )

 _ **"Hidden Truths."**_

Terra was with Master Xehanort, inside the new Xehanort's body, the two disputing over who will control it.

"Darkness rules your heart. It gives me control. Muscle and sinew that once obeyed you now rebels against you. How you can remain here at all confounds the mind." Master Xehanort says

"It's still my heart. You think you can just come in and take over? I'm not gonna sit by and let that happen." Terra says

"Hmph. Don't even entertain any notions of escaping me, boy. In the end, your heart will be engulfed by darkness forever." Master Xehanort says

"Wrong. You're gonna get shown the door, old man." Terra says

"As I recall, you couldn't even handle your own darkness. How, then, will you triumph over the darkness?" Master Xehanort says with a confident look on his face

"You'll find out soon enough." Terra says with a confident expression of his own

Master Xehanort was a bit surprised by Terra's response. But he soon realized what he meant in his words.

"Oh? So that's how it is, isn't it? Someone else has set foot into your heart. Eraqus, you sly fox..." Master Xehanort says

"I'm not afraid of what the darkness holds now. Even if you do wrest control of my heart from me, even if you cast me into the deepest, darkest abyss, you'll never sway me from the one cause that pushes me to keep on fighting. Whatever the cost, I'm ready to pay it." Terra says

"Brave words, to be sure. But I'm a patient man. We can take as much time as we need to settle this little property dispute. However, know this, You are just one of many roads that my Master, The Dark Lord, shall choose to take. Trust me. _'He'_ has made certain of that." Master Xehanort says

With that, the old Keyblade Master chuckles to himself, staring back at Terra with a sinister look on his face.

( _Radiant Garden_ )

 _ **"Image of their backs, preserved in memory."**_

Xehanort, now an apprentice to Ansem the Wise, walked through the hallways until Braig comes up and walks alongside him, placing his arm around his shoulder.

"Hey! Mister Master. Oh c'mon, you don't even know your own pal? Please tell me that amnesia was just a sick joke. Boy, this is some cliché." Braig says

Xehanort went to push Braig's hand off his shoulder, but stopped when Braig looked at him.

"Hey, you're not... Terra?" Braig says

Xehanort just stared at Braig silently.

"Just gotta check. As if." Braig says

As they continued down the hallway, Braig lifts his arm from Xehanort's shoulder.

"Well, don't sweat it. I got your back." Braig says

Ansem the Wise and Ienzo walk down from another hallway, eating Sea-Salt Ice Cream, going in the opposite direction of Braig and Xehanort. The sage-king took two bites of his ice cream while holding Ienzo's hand. He looked down as the young orphan took some bites out of his ice cream and chuckled lightly. Suddenly, Ienzo stops and looks back at the two men. Ansem the Wise took notice and also looks back toward Braig and Xehanort with concern in his eyes.

( _The Realm of Darkness_ )

 _ **"Two who were never meant to meet."**_

At the Dark Meridian, Ansem the Wise sits on a rock, looking out toward the dark ocean, wearing a black hooded coat. Out of nowhere, the female Keyblade Master, Aqua, walks down the beach and approaches him.

"Who are you?" Aqua asks

The hooded man was surprised a bit when he heard Aqua's voice and turned to look at her.

"Why hello. It's not often I get visitors." Ansem the Wise says

"Please, call me Aqua. Why are you sitting here all alone in the Realm of Darkness? How did you end up here?"

"Well... I can tell you this is my second time on these shores. But, unfortunately, much like the first, I do not remember who I am nor whence I came. Everything was washed away in whatever currents carried me here." Ansem the Wise says

"That's too bad." Aqua says

The Keyblade Master turned toward the sea and sat down on the dark sand.

"I know I've been here a long time... wandering through the endless hours... unable to escape..." Aqua says as she turned and sat down

"You wish to return to your own world?" Ansem the Wise asks looking at Aqua

"It's my friends. I promised I'd be there for them." Aqua says

"Your friends... Somewhere in the scraps of memory I have left, you remind me of a boy I once knew. He is very much like you, true to his friends, and kind. This boy travels to many worlds and fights to keep the light safe." Ansem the Wise says

Aqua felt surprised upon hearing this.

"Keep the light safe? I've been away for too long. Did something happen out there? Are the worlds in danger?" Aqua asks looking back at Ansem

"Sad to say, they nearly fell to darkness more than once. But at every turn, that boy arrived with Keyblade in hand to save the day." Ansem the Wise says

"Huh? Wait a sec... Is this boy's name Terra or Ven?" Aqua asks looking at Ansem

Ansem the Wise slowly shakes his head no.

"Neither of those, I'm afraid." Ansem the Wise says

Aqua sighed in disappointment at the answer.

"Should've known." Aqua says looking back toward the ocean

"How long has it been since I last met him? At least a year now, perhaps more... Back then, my heart was clouded with vengeance. I did terrible things... both to him and his friends. I brought unhappiness to more lives than one. I felt something must be done. Was that why? A means of clearing my conscience? Or perhaps, out of a sort of scholarly instinct? In fact, I would believe... maybe he can set things right. A boy like him who touches many hearts, he could open the right door, and save all those people whose lives I manage to ruin. So many are still waiting for their new beginning, their Birth By Sleep. Even me... And even you." Ansem the Wise says

"What's this boy's name?" Aqua asks looking at Ansem

"His name... is..." Ansem the Wise says

( _Twilight Town_ )

 _ **"All the pieces lie where they fell."**_

Naminé was in the old mansion drawing a sketch on her drawing pad. The picture she drew was Devon standing on the beach in Destiny Islands looking out at the sunset.

"Devon." Naminé says

Up at the clock tower, Roxas, Draxon, Axel, and Xion sat eating Sea-Salt Ice Cream looking out toward the sunset.

"Devon." Roxas, Draxon, Axel, and Xion say in unison

( _The Land of Departure_ )

Ventus sat in a chair outside until Terra approaches and wakes him. They both look up toward the stars, thinking of the same young boy they both knew.

"Devon." Ventus and Terra say in unison

( _The Celestial Realms_ )

Shara stood outside her home, gazing up at the glittering stars in the night sky. She was soon joined by her husband, Ducar, who came out of the house and walked up to her side. They looked at each other and shared a passionate kiss. Then, they looked up into the stars with smiles on their faces as they thought of their precious son.

"Devon." Ducar and Shara say in unison

( _The Realm of Darkness_ )

Upon hearing his name, two tears slid down Aqua's face. It was Devon, Shara's son. The sweet, young boy she once knew had grown up and was now a Keyblade Wielder, keeping the Realm of Light safe under his protection. Aqua looked out toward the sea with a smile on her face and renewed hope in her heart.

"Devon." Aqua says

( _10 years to the present_ )

 _ **"Where they wait for him..."**_

On the now present Destiny Islands, 15 year-old Devon, now a strong Keyblade Wielder, stood on the beach looking out toward the sunset. He looked up to the left and saw Sora sitting on the bent Paopu Fruit Tree. He then looked over to his right and saw his beloved female Night Fury, Luna walking toward him. They both shared glances with each other and smiled. Devon stretched his right-hand out to Luna and touched her snout. The Night Fury felt content in the warm touch of her rider's hand and she closed her eyes, crooning in comfort. After sharing their loving bond with each other, they looked back up at Sora and went up to see him.

"Sora." Devon calls

Sora turned around to his left and saw Devon and his dragon approach him.

"Devon. Luna." Sora says

"Mind if we join you?" Devon asks

"Sure." Sora says

Devon moved up infront of the Paopu tree and sat down on the ground with his right-leg bent, his right-arm resting up on his knee, and his left-leg laid straight out. Luna laid down and curled her body around her rider. The trio sat there for a few minutes, admiring the view of the ocean until they heard a voice call out to them, to Sora specifically.

"Sora." A male voice calls out

The two boys and the dragon turned around and saw Riku walking toward them.

"Riku." Sora says

As Riku joined them, more of their friends arrived. Spyro and Cynder, who Devon had found trapped in the catacombs of Avalar and were now free, flew down from the sky and landed infront of the three teens and dragon. Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid, Stormfly, Fishlegs, Meatlug, Snotlout, Hookfang, Tuffnut, Ruffnut, Barf and Belch landed nearby and approached them. Devon looks toward his friends and nods his head, giving them a pleasant smile. They all nod and smile back. The group turned back to watch the sunset.

"Your mind's made up?" Riku asks

"Yeah." Sora says

In Sora's hands was the bottle that had King Mickey's message.

"Sora." A female voice calls

Everyone turns around and saw Kairi walking toward them.

"Kairi." Sora says

Sora jumps off the Paopu Fruit Tree and turn to face Kairi. Devon and Luna both got up on their feet and they turned to face the two.

"It's just... they need me. I have to go. I am who I am... because of them." Sora says

Kairi nods her head in understanding, walks over to Sora, and hands the Wayfinder to him.

"See you soon." Kairi says

Devon places his right-hand ontop of Sora and Kairi's hands, joining his hand with theirs.

"It's a promise." Devon says with a smile

 _ **"Reconnect Kingdom Hearts."**_

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Finally! We are finished with Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep! This chapter introduces two more OCs who are Devon's uncle and aunt: Katherine and Richard. For voice references, Aunt Katherine is voiced by Rosemary Harris, who portrayed as Aunt May from the _Spider-man Trilogy_. And Uncle Richard is voiced by Richard McGonagle, who portrayed as Victor "Sully" Sullivan from the _Uncharted Series_. I feel like I should've introduced these two characters in the beginning of _Kingdom Hearts: World Conquest_ , but I didn't have any thought of the idea at the time. But I will be sure to go back and add them in. I'm sure some of you have noticed that Xion makes an appearance in this chapter. And I know that you guys all have questions. Like where did Xion come from? How does she come into all this? Well, to answer these questions, I'll be working on the storyline of Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days next just to get it out of the way. The title of the story will be _Kingdom Hearts: Days of Memories_. Once that is taken care of, we will move on to Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!


End file.
